Man charged with vandalism for throwing rats inside Danish McDonald's
A man was on Thursday arrested and charged with vandalism after an incident in which rats were thrown into a McDonald's restaurant in Denmark’s third-largest city Odense.
The incident was confirmed by Funen Police press officer Mads Boel to regional broadcaster TV2 Fyn.
The 20-year-old man was released around 9pm on Thursday and was subsequently released while the police continue investigations, Boel told news wire Ritzau on Friday.
His arrest relates to an incident on Wednesday evening when two masked people entered the McDonald's restaurant on Risingvej in Odense and released live mice and rats, Boel said.
The police communications officer did not confirm what role the 20-year-old is suspected to have had in the incident.
The arrest was made after a video began to spread on social media in which two people appear to throw the rodents into the restaurant.
Several rats and a pile of sawdust appear to fall onto the floor in the video, which also displays the text Boykot MCD/ISRAEL and Rotter i MCD foran Vollsmose, meaning “Boycott McDonalds/Israel” and “Rats in McDonald’s in front of Vollsmose”, referring to the nearby neighbourhood in Odense. An emoji of a Palestinian flag and a hand making a peace sign are also displayed.
The apparent protest in Denmark comes after similar social media videos emerged showing rats being released at McDonald’s restaurants in other countries, including one in Birmingham in the United Kingdom.
Public protests have occurred frequently in Denmark since war broke out between Israel and militant group Hamas in October, after an incursion and terror attack by Hamas on Israeli territory on October 7th targeted civilians, including the taking of hostages. Israel has since repeatedly bombarded Gaza, with heavy Palestinian civilian losses resulting.
READ ALSO: Thousands attend Copenhagen demonstration in support of Palestinian civilians
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The incident was confirmed by Funen Police press officer Mads Boel to regional broadcaster TV2 Fyn.
The 20-year-old man was released around 9pm on Thursday and was subsequently released while the police continue investigations, Boel told news wire Ritzau on Friday.
His arrest relates to an incident on Wednesday evening when two masked people entered the McDonald's restaurant on Risingvej in Odense and released live mice and rats, Boel said.
The police communications officer did not confirm what role the 20-year-old is suspected to have had in the incident.
The arrest was made after a video began to spread on social media in which two people appear to throw the rodents into the restaurant.
Several rats and a pile of sawdust appear to fall onto the floor in the video, which also displays the text Boykot MCD/ISRAEL and Rotter i MCD foran Vollsmose, meaning “Boycott McDonalds/Israel” and “Rats in McDonald’s in front of Vollsmose”, referring to the nearby neighbourhood in Odense. An emoji of a Palestinian flag and a hand making a peace sign are also displayed.
The apparent protest in Denmark comes after similar social media videos emerged showing rats being released at McDonald’s restaurants in other countries, including one in Birmingham in the United Kingdom.
Public protests have occurred frequently in Denmark since war broke out between Israel and militant group Hamas in October, after an incursion and terror attack by Hamas on Israeli territory on October 7th targeted civilians, including the taking of hostages. Israel has since repeatedly bombarded Gaza, with heavy Palestinian civilian losses resulting.
READ ALSO: Thousands attend Copenhagen demonstration in support of Palestinian civilians
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