Towed Vehicles From A Madison McDonald's Draws Boycott Call By Angry Patrons

A video posted calling for a boycott of a South Madison McDonald's restaurant goes viral after vehicles towed.

By H. Nelson Goodson

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

February 15, 2016 

Madison, WI - On Saturday, several people who parked at the McDonald's restaurant at 2402 S. Park St. in Madison discovered that their vehicles had been towed while attending a nearby 2 hour meeting at the Centro Hispano, 810 W. Badger Rd. to plan for a massive protest against multiple anti-immigrant bills proposed by the GOP controlled legislature at the State Capitol on Thursday. A video posted by Julio JC Bahena in Facebook (FB) went viral after he called on FB users to boycott the McDonald's restaurant for towing at least 7 vehicles. According to Bahena, several workers at McDonald's, an Afro-American employee and a White manager began to laugh at people who attempted to reason with them not to let a towing service take their vehicles from the parking lot. A sign is posted by McDonald's allowing customers to park for at least 60 minutes and to allow people to eat inside for 30 minutes or more, if given permission to stay.

The manager of the McDonald's could be heard telling Bahena to stop recording and to leave the restaurant or she would call 911, if they failed to leave. Bahena responded by telling her to call 911 and that he was not going to leave.

The restaurant has parking for about 40 vehicles and it was a slow Saturday, according to Manuel Rosales, whose vehicle was towed. Rosales posted on FB that the management disrespected Hispanics and laughed at them because their vehicles were being towed.

An estimated 300 Hispanics attended a meeting at the Centro Hispano organized by Voces de la Frontera (VDLF) from Milwaukee and the Madison affiliate. VDLF was holding a meeting to plan for a massive protest on Thursday against several proposed anti-immigrant bills by the GOP controlled legislature. The protest is being labeled "Un Día Sin Latinos."

According to Rosales, Christine Newmann Ortiz, the executive director for VDLF took time to speak with the McDonald's manager and the owner at the S. Park St. location and asked them to release the vehicles without getting charged for towing fees.
VDLF announced that on Tuesday, the Wisconsin State Assembly will vote on AB450/SB369 and SB533/AB723, and the Senate will vote on SB533/AB723.
AB450/SB369 would lead police to investigate people's immigration status and detain undocumented people for deportation.
SB533/AB723 would block counties statewide from issuing local identification cards to people who cannot access state ID. 

Online petition being circulated to stop the anti-immigrant bills in Wisconsin at link: http://onewisconsinnow.org/act/voces2/