Terror tactics

A Finnish group calling itself the Food Liberation Army has posted a spoof terrorist-style clip on video-sharing website YouTube, with five masked characters threatening to “execute” Ronald McDonald if the fast food giant failed to answer its questions.

The group “kidnapped” the McDonald’s mascot from a Helsinki restaurant. “We love burgers and fries but can no longer watch in silence when the food we love is being brought to shame,” the central figure in the clip proclaims. The man demands answers to questions ranging from animal welfare to obesity.

Heli Ryhänen, a McDonald’s spokesperson, said the company did not negotiate with criminals. Ryhänen said the activists had taken the mascot hostage after presenting forged documents to restaurant workers.