Over 170 arrested for attacks on fast-food chain
Police have arrested scores of people in recent weeks after more than 10 mob attacks on outlets of US fast-food chain, sparked by anti-United States sentiment and opposition to its ally Israel's war in Gaza, officials said.
Police in major cities, including Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, confirmed at least 11 incidents in which the fast-food outlets were attacked by protesters armed with sticks and vandalised.
At least 178 people were arrested, the officials said this week. A police official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said one of the employees was shot and killed this week in a store on the outskirts of Lahore by unknown gunmen. The official added there was no protest at the time and they were investigating whether the killing was motivated by political sentiment or some other reason.
In Lahore, police said they were ramping up security at 27 outlets around the city after two attacks took place and five others were prevented. "We are investigating the role of different individuals and groups in these attacks," said Faisal Kamran, a senior Lahore police officer, adding that 11 people, including a member of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), were arrested in the city.
He added the protests were not officially organised by TLP. TLP spokesman Rehan Mohsin Khan said the group "has urged Muslims to boycott Israeli products, but it has not given any call for protest outside outlets". "If any other person claiming to be a TLP leader or activist has indulged in such activity, it should be taken as his personal act which has nothing to do with the party's policy," said Khan.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
an hour ago
- Business Recorder
Israeli forces seize Gaza aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg, ministry says
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israeli forces have taken command of a charity vessel that had tried to break a naval blockade of the Gaza Strip and the boat with its crew of 12 including activist Greta Thunberg is now heading to a port in Israel, officials said on Sunday. The British-flagged yacht Madleen, which is operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), was aiming to deliver a symbolic amount of aid to Gaza later on Monday and raise international awareness of the humanitarian crisis there. However, the boat was boarded during the night before it could reach shore, the FFC said on its Telegram account. The Israeli Foreign Ministry later confirmed that it was under Israeli control. Most Hezbollah military sites in south Lebanon ceded to army: source 'The 'selfie yacht' of the 'celebrities' is safely making its way to the shores of Israel. The passengers are expected to return to their home countries,' the ministry wrote on X. All passengers were safe and unharmed, the ministry later added. 'They were provided with sandwiches and water. The show is over.' Among the 12-strong crew are Swedish climate campaigner Thunberg and Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament. 'The crew of the Freedom Flotilla was arrested by the Israeli army in international waters around 2 a.m.,' Hassan posted on X. A photograph showed the crew seated on the boat, all wearing life jackets, with their hands in the air. The yacht is carrying a small shipment of humanitarian aid, including rice and baby formula. The Foreign Ministry said it would be taken to Gaza. 'The tiny amount of aid that was on the yacht and not consumed by the 'celebrities' will be transferred to Gaza through real humanitarian channels,' it wrote. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz ordered the military on Sunday to prevent the Madleen from reaching Gaza, calling the mission a propaganda effort in support of Hamas. Israel imposed a naval blockade on the coastal enclave after Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007. The blockade has remained in place through multiple conflicts, including the current war, which began after a Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, that killed more than 1,200 people, according to an Israeli tally. Gaza's health ministry says over 54,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of Israel's military campaign. Israel wants to extend first phase of Gaza truce by six weeks, Egyptian security sources say The United Nations has warned that most of Gaza's more than 2 million residents are facing famine. The Israeli government says the blockade is essential to prevent weapons from reaching Hamas. The United Nations' special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, has supported the FFC operation and on Sunday, urged other boats to challenge the Gaza blockade. 'Madleen's journey may have ended, but the mission isn't over. Every Mediterranean port must send boats with aid & solidarity to Gaza,' she wrote on X.
Express Tribune
2 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Gaza-bound humanitarian vessel Madleen seized by Israeli forces
Listen to article Israeli naval forces have seized the Madleen, a civilian aid vessel headed for Gaza, in international waters approximately 160km (100 miles) from the besieged Palestinian enclave. The ship, organised by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and registered in the United Kingdom, was intercepted early Monday. Israeli authorities confirmed they are escorting the crew to Ashdod, a port city in southern Israel. Video footage taken before communications were lost shows the unarmed crew—activists and journalists from across Europe and the Americas—seated with hands raised as Israeli commandos boarded the ship. The vessel was reportedly carrying essential supplies including food, baby formula and medical items. Among the 12 detained are high-profile climate activist Greta Thunberg, Brazilian organiser Thiago Ávila, French Member of European Parliament Rima Hassan, and journalist Omar Faiad from Al Jazeera Mubasher. READ: Madleen set to reach Palestinian waters within a day: Rima Hassan Before contact was lost, passengers said Israeli drones sprayed the ship with a thick white substance that caused burning and irritation. Analysts believe it may have been a tracking compound rather than Israel's commonly used 'skunk water'. Human rights experts have described the seizure as a breach of international law and a violation of the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) provisional measures, which demand unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza. 'This is not only an act of state piracy. It's in direct violation of the ICJ's orders,' said Mouin Rabbani, non-resident fellow at the Qatar-based Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies. Brazilian activist Thiago Ávila had recorded a message prior to departure, stating: 'If you're watching this, I've been kidnapped… we count on you.' He urged international pressure to ensure their release and to end the blockade. Vídeo gravado por Thiago Ávila caso fosse sequestrado pelos sionistas — Instituto Brasil-Palestina 🇵🇸 (@Ibraspal) June 9, 2025 The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs downplayed the mission as a 'selfie yacht' stunt, suggesting activists sought media attention rather than humanitarian goals. Critics called the statement degrading and warned it could constitute a war crime under international law. The Israeli Defence Ministry said the operation had been ordered by Minister Israel Katz, who labelled the voyage a 'propaganda effort in support of Hamas.' The vessel's interception follows a pattern of restrictions and violence around aid deliveries to Gaza. According to human rights monitors, more than 100 Palestinians have been killed while attempting to access food in recent weeks. UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese said: 'Israel has no authority over Gaza. The people of Gaza need to be helped—not blockaded.' While #Madleen must be released immediately, every Mediterranean port should send boats with aid, solidarity, and humanity to Gaza. They shall sail together—united, they will be unstoppable.#BreakingTheSiege is a legal duty for states, and a moral imperative for all of us. — Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt (@FranceskAlbs) June 9, 2025 This latest interception comes just weeks after another FFC aid vessel (the Conscience) was attacked by drones while sailing in international waters off Malta. The coalition accused Israel of targeting the ship, which suffered major damage to its hull. 'Armed drones attacked the front of an unarmed civilian vessel twice, causing a fire and a substantial breach in the hull,' the group said at the time. READ MORE: Aid ship bound for Gaza hit by drones, catches fire off Malta Greta Thunberg, who was aboard the intercepted yacht, said she had initially planned to join the earlier voyage. 'I was part of the group who was supposed to board that boat today to continue the voyage towards Gaza, which is one of many attempts to open up a humanitarian corridor and to do our part to keep trying to break Israel's illegal siege on Gaza,' she told Reuters. 'This attack caused an explosion and major damage to the vessel, which made it impossible to continue the mission.' Israel's war on Gaza Israel has continued its military campaign in Gaza despite widespread international calls for a ceasefire, with nearly 54,900 Palestinians reported killed since October 2023—most of them women and children, according to Gaza's health authorities. Aid agencies warn that over 2 million residents of the besieged enclave face acute risks of famine and displacement. READ: Palestinian death toll mounts with over 100 killed during Eid In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, citing allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the Gaza conflict. Israel is also currently facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its military operations against Palestinian civilians in the territory.
Express Tribune
16 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Iran to reveal ‘treasure trove' of sensitive Israeli documents, says intelligence minister
Iranian state media reported on Saturday that Iranian intelligence agencies had obtained a large trove of sensitive Israeli documents. PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK Listen to article Sensitive Israeli documents obtained by Tehran should be unveiled soon, Minister of Intelligence Esmail Khatib told state TV on Sunday, describing them as a "treasure trove" which will strengthen Iran's offensive capabilities. Iranian state media reported on Saturday that Iranian intelligence agencies had obtained a large trove of sensitive Israeli documents. Khatib said these were related to Israel's nuclear facilities and its relations with the United States, Europe and other countries, and to its defensive capabilities. There was no immediate official comment from Israel. It was not clear whether the information breach was linked to a reported hacking, opens new tab of an Israeli nuclear research centre last year which Tehran is only disclosing now amid heightened tensions over its nuclear programme. "The transfer of this treasure trove was time-consuming and required security measures. Naturally, the transfer methods will remain confidential but the documents should be unveiled soon," Khatib said, adding that in terms of volume, "talking of thousands of documents would be an understatement." In 2018, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israeli agents had seized a huge "archive" of Iranian documents that showed Tehran had done more nuclear work than previously known. US President Donald Trump has threatened to bomb Iran if Tehran did not come to an agreement with Washington over its nuclear programme. But Trump in April reportedly blocked a planned Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear sites in favour of negotiating a deal with Tehran. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday that abandoning uranium enrichment was "100%" against Iran's interests, rejecting a central US demand in talks to resolve a decades-long dispute over Tehran's nuclear ambitions. Western powers say Iran is refining uranium to a high degree of fissile purity close to the level suitable for atomic bomb fuel. Iran has long denied seeking nuclear weapons.
