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Man obstructs customers from eating at Provo McDonald's, police say

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PROVO, Utah — Believing the company is poisoning people, a 36-year-old man blocked customers from eating at a Provo McDonald's by standing in the drive thru lane Friday.

Police say Matthew Belknap told drive thru customers they couldn't order from the McDonald's at 211 West Cougar Boulevard. According to arrest documents, Belknap claimed he was trying to "help" people and said the fast food restaurant was poisoning people.

Belknap allegedly refused when a manager asked him to move, telling her "something to the effect of 'no one is buying food here today,'" the probable cause affidavit reads.

While Belknap was blocking one of the drive thru lanes, customers were forced to move to another lane to order. He denied that he was preventing anyone from driving up to the restaurant, but people said Belknap was talking loudly about health concerns while they ordered.

Belknap later told a police officer that he intended to block vehicles in the drive thru lane "and continue to help."

After refusing the officer's command to leave, Belknap was arrested and faces one charge of commercial obstruction.