At least 260 community members assemble with one day’s notice, to unite and vow to continue to fight against a McDonalds in Tecoma on Sunday 11th of August.  We emerged with more determination and passion than ever before, like a phoenix rising from the ashes! Many new and enthusiastic faces who, in the wake of McDonalds outrageous military style invasion of Tecoma this week, are simply compelled to get on board!  As well as sharing our reflections on a hard week we brainstormed and discussed the best way we continue the fight, inspite of the loss of our beloved Hazelvale Dairy buildings. As well as many new ideas the meeting recommitted to maintaining our protest on the site between Monday and Friday 7AM to 5PM and Saturday 7AM to 1PM.

Photo by Sarah Brown

MEDIA : Tecoma McDonalds protestors plan next move

The Mountain Song – a song of struggle

. At the end of the meeting we were lucking enough to be taught the lyrics to the “.Mountain Song”. This is a song inspired by one womans stand against the destruction of her mountain home by coal mining in the U.S. by an artist called Holly Near. The song is becoming somewhat of an anthem to our protest when it was first sung to us from the rooftops by our “Roof Angel” a few weeks ago which you can see in the video below. Here the community sing the song on this video on Facebook.

I have dreamed on this mountain
Since first I was my mother’s daughter
And you can’t just take my dreams away ­– not with me watching
You may drive a big machine
But I was born a great big woman
And you can’t just take my dreams away ­– without me fighting

This old mountain raised my many daughters
Some died young – some are still living
But if you come here to take our mountain
Well we ain’t come here to give it

I have dreamed on this mountain
Since first I was my mother’s daughter
And you can’t just take my dreams away ­– not with me watching
No you can’t just take my dreams away ­– without me fighting
No you can’t just take my dreams away