Not lovin' it: Arab Christians clash with Israeli police over 'McJesus' sculpture depicting a crucified Ronald McDonald
- Museum in Haifa, Israel, displayed work of Ronald McDonald being crucified
- Arab Christians branded the work offensive and demanded it be taken down
- Three police were hurt after stone-throwing protesters tried to remove it
- Officers used tear gas and stun grenades on the crowd, with one man arrested
Three police have been injured after stone-throwing Christian protesters tried to force their way into a museum in Israel and tear down an 'offensive' artwork.
The clashes happened outside the Haifa Museum of Art last week in protest at the 'McJesus' sculpture, which shows Ronald McDonald bring crucified.
Arab Christian groups say the work was disrespectful and accused Israeli authorities of being slow to respond to their complaints, which began in August when McJesus first went on show.
Arab Christian protesters clashed with police on Friday as they tried to force their way into the Haifa Museum of Art and tear down this work
Three officers suffered head injuries and had to be taken to hospital after stone-throwing demonstrators stormed the museum
The first sign of trouble came on Thursday, shortly after Culture Minister Miri Regev sent a letter to the museum director asking for the sculpture to be taken down.
Later the same day a Molotov cocktail was thrown at the building, prompting officials to station police outside.
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Then, on Friday, a crowd of hundreds gathered outside before trying to force their way through the doors.
Police used tear gas and stun grenades in an attempt to disperse the mob, who pelted them with stones in return.
Three officers were left with head injuries and had to be taken to hospital for treatment, according to Israel's Channel 10.
Police used tear gas and stun grenades in an attempt to disperse hundreds of activists
The Christians accuse authorities of ignoring their demands because they are a minority group, and say an artwork that offended Judaism would have been removed long ago
The activists say the sculpture, called McJesus, is disrespectful to their religion
Four men were detained for questioning while a fifth, a 32-year-old, was arrested on suspicion of attacking police.
In response, the museum said it would put up a screen around the work to shield it from public view, alongside a sign warning the work could be considered offensive.
But museum officials refused to remove it entirely, saying it is an important way of triggering important discussions.
McJesus was created by Finnish artist and political activist Jani Leinonen, himself a Christian, and is supposed to satirise how society has come to worship consumerism and capitalist thinking.
Leinonen's work often attacks fast food companies, including in 2011 when he stole a Ronald McDonald statue and threatened to behead it if the company did not meet his demands by answering questions on its ethics.
In 2015 he created a walk-in art installation modelled on Burger King which he entitled Hunger King, and was designed to critique Hungary's policy of banning homeless people from sleeping in public areas.
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