Activists Hold Ronald McDonald Hostage

Drawing of Ronald with friends during happier times at a Cincinnati McD

Last week, Ronald McDonald, the very icon of happiness itself, was abducted by a Finnish group calling itself the Food Liberation Army.

RAZ (NPR Reporter): You guys set a deadline for McDonald's to respond to your questions. That passed yesterday. You had threatened to execute Ronald McDonald, the fiberglass statue of Ronald. Has McDonald's met your demands?

Mr. LEINONEN (statue terrorist): Unfortunately, not. And Ronald was executed in a guillotine last night.

RAZ: Oh. So he's gone?

Mr. LEINONEN: He's gone.

RAZ: Oh. I'm a bit shocked, I have to say. But we called up McDonald's to ask them about your demands. They told us, you know, they're always happy to engage in constructive dialogue, but they called this in very poor taste.

The Finnish Food Liberation Army had earlier released a video (in Finnish) with a statue of the fast-food icon bound and gagged, and a list of demands from McDonalds.

So what did the Food Liberation Army want?

They wanted McD to treat animals kindly. I kid you not.

Read the full story at WBUR, National Public Radio