Macca’s-mad protester chains himself to Moscow store to stop it from shutting down

Cameras have captured the moment a protester chained himself to a McDonald’s store in Moscow. WATCH THE VIDEO.

A burger fan chained himself to a McDonald’s store in Moscow in an attempt to stop the restaurant from closing it’s doors as anti-war protests gripped the country on Sunday.

The McDonald’s-mad fan, identified as Luka Safranov by various media outlets, was filmed making the desperate attempt hours before the US burger chain was due to close all branches in Russia.

“Closing down is an act of hostility against me and my fellow citizens!” the angry protester reportedly shouted.

This McDonald’s-mad fan chained himself to a Moscow branch.

Police were filmed dragging the man away as people watched on.

The fast-food giant last week announced it was closing its 850 restaurants in Russia, joining a growing tide of companies pulling out of the country following the invasion of Ukraine.

“We cannot ignore the needless human suffering unfolding in Ukraine,” the company said in a statement.

“McDonald’s has decided to temporarily close all our restaurants in Russia and pause all operations in the market.”

Police dragged the passionate protester away.

Russian police detained more than 800 people for protesting Moscow’s “military operation” in Ukraine on Sunday, as the conflict continues for a third week.

OVD-Info, which monitors arrests during protests, said police had detained 817 people during demonstrations in 37 cities in Russia.

An AFP journalist reporting from a protest in the capital Moscow witnessed at least a dozen arrests and said police were taking away anybody without press papers.

A young woman was shouting “peace to the world” as she was taken away by two policemen, the journalist said.

Police officers detain a man during a protest against Russian military action in Ukraine, in Manezhnaya Square in central Moscow. Picture: AFP

Some of the riot police had the letter “Z” in the colours of the Russian flag on their helmets, the AFP reporter said.

The letter, seen on Russian tanks and vehicles in Ukraine, has become a symbol of support for what Moscow calls its “special military operation”.

Law enforcement in Moscow said Sunday evening they had detained around 300 people in the capital’s centre for breaches of public order.

Anti-war protests have erupted across the country. Picture: AFP

In Russia’s second city Saint Petersburg, AFP saw multiple arrests, including a protester being dragged across the ground.

The city’s central Nevsky Avenue was closed off by police with a dozen police vans parked along the road.

According to AFP, several journalists were detained.

Dressed in a yellow hat and blue jacket, 20-year-old Kristina said she was “expressing her protest” by wearing the colours of the Ukrainian flag.

Police detained more than 800 anti-war protesters on Sunday alone. Picture: AFP

“It’s scary to go outside, of course. They are detaining everyone. Lots of my friends have been detained in the past few days, some were even expelled from university,” she told AFP.

Last weekend, police arrested more than 5000 protesters across Russia.

Protesters risk fines and possible prison sentences by taking to the streets. OVD-Info says that 14,804 people have been detained at rallies across the country to protest Russian military incursion in Ukraine, which was launched on February 24.

Originally published as Macca’s-mad protester chains himself to Moscow store to stop it from shutting down