Following an act of protest by about 400 local residents in Tecoma, work on the McDonald’s site has stopped. Proposal for the restaurant had been approved two years ago and the restaurant was under construction even as locals picketed outside the eatery.

The protest began with picketers saying, we have the right to protest. Everyone does.

Officials and authorities supported the objection of having a fast food franchise in the area with the sentiment, protests are fine as long as they don’t harm others.

With work on the restaurant in full swing, people began sleeping on the roof of the proposed diner. Though they were small in number, they attracted large media attention and more people began to join in.

As the number of people increased, management which assured the public that it would work diligently on conflicting issues, have indefinitely postponed work on the project.

There was a number of concerns that Tecoma residents opposed about having a franchise in the neighbourhood. In most neighbourhoods that have fast food hang outs, crime is higher than it is in the suburbs of Melbourne. This was a major concern for residents who wanted to enjoy the small pace of the town along with its environmental beauty.

Degradation of the environment was another concern that bothered the people who lived in Tecoma. Littering and cleaning up would be an additional burden on the community, it it hosted a franchise.

Many well-informed residents felt that there was no need for a multi-national franchise in their town. They were happy with the diverse cuisine that includes the culture of various ethnic groups.

McDonald’s are popular the world over for cheap, economic meals, offering value in a recovery. McDonald’s fries are particularly popular among kids.
Spokesman for the protest, Garry Muratore says, "We're calling on the Premier Denis Napthine to become involved and convince McDonald's to pull out," reported News.com

According to building unions in the community, they claimed they would "support the rights of the Tecoma community to protest against inappropriate development" in a report by AAP.

The management of the fast food franchise said, "Obviously our goal is to ensure the site is safe and secure.”