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LONDON — A man has been arrested in Birmingham, England, for allegedly releasing live mice into a number of McDonald’s restaurants in what is said be a pro-Palestinian protest.
The 32-year-old suspect was arrested Wednesday night after videos of the stunt went viral on social media.
Footage released on TikTok shows boxes full of mice painted red, green, black, and white being released into a branch of the fast-food outlet, to the clear alarm of customers.
The video included a graphic calling for a “targeted boycott” of McDonald’s, which along fellow large corporations including Starbucks and Disney+ has donated meals and other items to the Israeli military during its operations in Gaza.
In the clip, the person behind the prank then runs out of the restaurant and can be heard saying “Free Palestine,” “Boycott Israel,” and “F*** Israel.”
The original video is no longer available on TikTok, but has been widely shared elsewhere on the internet.
West Midlands Police said Wednesday night they were looking for a second suspect, who they named as Billal Hussain, 30, in connection with at least two incidents.
In a statement on social media, the force described the events as “unacceptable and distressing,” saying “these are being treated as public nuisance offenses.”
