Russian McDonald's fan chains himself to eatery to stop closing

Publish date: 2024-07-11

A Russian man was not lovin’ it that McDonald’s was about to shutter it stores in the country amid the invasion of Ukraine – so he chained himself to one of its eateries in Moscow in a last-ditch attempt to keep it open.

The Golden Arches fan, identified as Luka Safronov, was filmed staging his protest hours before the burger giant was set to temporarily close its 850 restaurants in Russia, the Mirror reported.

“Closing down is an act of hostility against me and my fellow citizens!” Safronov reportedly yelled as customers flocked inside to grab their last Big Macs and other staples before the chain closed down its operations.

A Russian McDonald’s superfan chained himself to a restaurant in Moscow.

Police eventually dragged Safronov away from the chaotic scene.

His dramatic demonstration came after company president and CEO Chris Kempckinski explained to the employees that closing the stores was the right thing to do.

“As we move forward, McDonald’s will continue to assess the situation and determine if any additional measures are required,” he reportedly wrote in a letter to the workers.

McDonald’s said it was temporarily closing its 850 restaurants in Russia. © Vlad Karkov/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire
A number of brands have announced the suspension or limitation of their business in Russia. EPA/MAXIM SHIPENKOV
Russian invasion of Ukraine as of March 11.

“At this juncture, it’s impossible to predict when we might be able to reopen our restaurants in Russia,” he added. “We are experiencing disruptions to our supply chain along with other operational impacts. We will also closely monitor the humanitarian situation.”

Get the latest updates in the Russia-Ukraine conflict with The Post’s live coverage.

Other US companies, including Coca-Cola and Starbucks, also have announced that they would suspend business and downgrade their ties in Russia due to its invasion of Ukraine.

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