US fast food chain McDonald’s drew flak in Taiwan after a manager called police to remove a woman with Down syndrome from the restaurant.
The woman, identified only by her last name, Wang, was trying to buy ice cream at a McDonald’s store in the southern Kaohsiung city when the manager called the police claiming that a homeless person was causing a commotion, Taiwanese media reported.
The manager asked police to escort the woman out or take her to a hospital.
Police found that the woman was not behaving inappropriately or bothering other customers.
Protesters gathered outside the McDonald’s headquarters in Taipei and accused the fast food giant of discrimination against mentally disabled persons.
McDonald’s apologized for the incident, reports AFP.
“I think it’s very improper that the restaurant contacted the police to handle the matter in this isolated case,” a spokeswoman for McDonald’s Taiwan said.
“I apologize that this caused an unpleasant dining experience for Ms. Wang and I thank Ms. Wang and her family for accepting our apology,” she said.
