A Russian McDonald's lover chained himself to a restaurant in Moscow to stop it from closing down, days after the company announced it was stopping business in Russia due to the country's invasion of Ukraine.
The fan, identified as?Luka Safronov, staged a protest hours before all McDonald's restaurants were due to close in Russia on Monday.??
In a video, Safronov is heard shouting in Russian "Closing down is an act of hostility against me and my fellow citizens!"??
As shown in the clip, the man was eventually unchained from the door before police escorted him away from the chaotic scene.
The popular?fast-food chain had on?March 8 said that it would temporarily close 850 locations in Russia, joining a host of companies including Pizza Hut and KFC to halt operations in order to isolate the Russian economy and put pressure on the government.
Announcing the closure of all McDonald¡¯s stores last week, the company's Chief Executive Chris Kempczinski,?said: ¡°The conflict in Ukraine and the humanitarian crisis in Europe has caused unspeakable suffering to innocent people.¡±
"As a System, we join the world in condemning aggression and violence and praying for peace.?Our number one priority from the start of this crisis has been ¨C and will remain ¨C our people," he added.?
However, the company will continue to pay full salaries for all Ukrainian and Russian staff.
McDonald's had been facing severe criticism for not moving to close its Russian business sooner. Other well-known food and drink brands Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and?Starbucks?announced similar measures later on March 8.?
Many?McDonald's fans?in Russia have been?upset?about the closure, and McDonald's meals are being sold online at exorbitant prices for profit.?
Pictures and videos of Russians queuing up outside the fast-food restaurant before it closed surfaced all over social media. While most of them wanted to savour the last bite, many found this to be an opportunity to make some extra bucks.? ?
Some people brought the last few McDonald's meals and are now selling them at exorbitantly high prices to anyone who misses the fast-food outlet.?If you wanted a meal with two burgers, two drinks, and a cherry pie, you could buy it online for a casual 7,500 rubles (AUD$84 or ?46).??
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