Wow. I’m not sure what the appropriate response is here. Finnish folk referring to themselves as the ‘Food Liberation Army’ have ‘kidnapped’ a statue of Ronald McDonald, and are threatening to execute within a week if their questions concerning the quality of McDonald’s food production are not answered.

From the FreeRonald website:

We love burgers, fries and McDonald’s, but we can no longer watch silent when the food we love is being destroyed and brought to shame because of greed and indifference. Because of your short-sightedness your burgers have become nearly inedible.

That is why we want to help McDonald’s to save food. We made you a list of questions we want you to answer. We hope that your answers will make you understand the dilapidation of the food culture we love and the appropriate measures.

1. Why are you not open about the manufacturing processes, raw materials and  additives used in your products? What are you afraid?

2. How many tons of un-recycled waste you produce per year? Why do you not publish that figure?

3. Do you operate with unethical actors, such as illegal immigrants? Why?

4. Why do not you take responsibility of your culinary consequences? Why do you not seek to prevent obesity, diabetes and their ramification deceases?

5. Why do you not just use ethically produced meat? Do you not think it should be a goal for everyone to serve meat of an animal that has has had a good, clean and drug free life? Why is it not your goal?

6. Why is cheap production cost your main value?

7. Do you think your only goal is to maximize your owners´s profits? What do you think would happen if you begin to produce quality to your customers?

8. You are big and global player that reaches a significant part of the earth’s people. Why do you use your power to short-sightedly maximize profits and not to create a better world ?

We are not alone, but represent a rapidly growing population. We have moved quickly towards better quality and ethicality of consumption. It is in your interest to answer our questions publicly, and develop your activities through them. Only this way you will survive in the future. Listen to our message and the Move. We will reward you by eating more burgers.

My problem is that I can’t tell how much of this is a joke. I think this is mostly a joke?

[freeronald]