http://www.wjla.com/headlines/0804/164299.htmlSINGAPORE (AP) - Singapore police questioned a Santa Claus impersonator from an animal rights group Friday after she protested outside a KFC outlet against alleged fowl treatment of live chickens by the fast-food giant.
Santa, complete with a sign reading "Peace On Earth For Chickens; Boycott KFC," was one of three volunteers from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, who took their cause to the straight-laced city-state.
The group said that KFC "could bring a little early Christmas cheer to millions of birds" if it treated them better.
Police spokesman Rachel Yeo said authorities responded to the three-person protest after receiving a call from a "member of the public."
Last month, PETA released a video showing workers at a KFC supplier's farm in the United States "stomping on chickens and drop-kicking them, the rights group said on its Web site.
A statement from KFC Friday rebutted the group's claims, saying it "was committed to the well being and humane treatment of chickens."
The company said its suppliers had to follow strict guidelines, and could lose their business if they didn't comply.
Tightly-ruled Singapore requires demonstators or protestors to apply for a police permit to gather in public as authorities say such gatherings can lead to "law and order problems."
Protests are extremely rare in the city-state.