A pro-Palestine activist released a box of mice inside a McDonald's before walking off and shouting "f**k Israel" as shocked diners rushed to evacuate the restaurant due to the sudden infestation. A video circulating on social media shows the man throwing the rodents onto the floor of the crowded fast-food restaurant, resulting in utter chaos.
Customers at the branch located in the Star City leisure complex in Birmingham were awaiting their meals when the mice, painted in the colors of the Palestinian flag, were sent scurrying across the restaurant floor. The action comes in protest against McDonald's given that the popular food chain has shown support for Israel against Hamas.
Shocking Scene
On Monday night, McDonald's confirmed that a "number of mice" were indeed released into the restaurant. The company said that the branch, which has since reopened, underwent a thorough sanitization process after the rodents were removed.
The single-man protest is part of a larger movement urging a boycott of McDonald's, Starbucks, and Disney for allegedly supporting Israel during the ongoing conflict. McDonald's is also offering free meals to IDF soldiers.
The video, titled "enjoy your rat burgers," starts with a man holding fake number plates reading "PAIISTN" and "Free Palestine" as he arrives in his car.
Wearing a Palestinian flag around his head, the man opened the trunk of his car, pulled out a box of rodents, and entered the fast-food establishment, allowing the mice to scatter across the floor.
The video showed two women running away in horror at the sight of the mice in the restaurant. The activist was heard repeatedly shouting "Free f***ing Palestine" as he walked back to his car, later adding "Boycott Israel' and 'F*** Israel" before driving off.
Toward the end of the video, a block of text on the screen is seen that reads: "Targeted boycott. The Big Three. Start by boycotting these brands that are directly involved in supporting the Israeli apartheid."
In the video's final moments, a recorded phone conversation is played in which one man boasts, saying, "All the alarms are going off and the doors are closed." Another voice then adds, "Successful mission."
Strange Way to Protest
Other footage, believed to be filmed by customers inside the restaurant, shows McDonald's staff using boxes to push the rodents out through the automatic doors and onto the street. Animal rights group Viva! expressed being "deeply distraught" over the use of animals in the protest.
A spokesperson for McDonald's told MailOnline: "We are aware of an incident in our Birmingham Star City restaurant this evening. The restaurant has been fully sanitized and our pest control partners have been called out to conduct a full inspection."
The video comes days after another pro-Palestine protest took place outside a McDonald's in Bristol, where supporters shouted "boycott McDonald's," accusing the fast-food chain of being complicit in "killing innocent people."
In the video shared on Wednesday, a young woman led chants in support of "Free Palestine," with around 20 others joining in by waving Palestinian flags and holding placards. The woman can be heard shouting "Boycott McDonald's" and reiterating, "Shame on McDonald's for funding Israel, who are killing innocent people."
The protest was in response to the company's support for providing free meals to Israeli soldiers. A social media post highlighted that McDonald's Israel had distributed 100,000 free meals. However, the chain swiftly distanced itself from the Israeli military's actions.
Franchise groups in Kuwait, Pakistan, and other nations released statements confirming that they did not share ownership with the Israeli franchise. Additionally, some clarified that they had made financial donations to support those in Gaza.
