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Al Jazeera
19-04-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Over 170 arrested for attacks on Pakistan KFC outlets in Gaza war protests
Police have arrested close to 200 people in Pakistan in recent weeks after more than 10 group attacks on outlets of the United States-based fast-food chain KFC, sparked by anti-US sentiment, unconditional US backing for Washington's close ally Israel and opposition to Israel's war in Gaza, officials say. The fast-food chain has become a target of protest and boycott calls by Islamist parties since the start of the war in Gaza as they link the brand to US support for Israel. At least 178 people have been arrested, the officials said this week. Police in major cities in Pakistan – including the southern port city of Karachi, the eastern city of Lahore and the capital, Islamabad – confirmed at least 11 incidents in which KFC chicken restaurants were attacked by protesters armed with sticks and vandalised. A police official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said one KFC employee 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 police were investigating whether the killing was politically motivated or for some other reason. In Lahore, police said they were ramping up security at 27 KFC outlets after two attacks took place and five were prevented. 'We are investigating the role of different individuals and groups in these attacks,' Faisal Kamran, a senior Lahore police officer told the Reuters news agency, adding that 11 people, including a member of the Islamist party Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), have been arrested in the city. He added the protests were not officially organised by the 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 KFC'. '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,' Khan said. Western brands have been hit by boycotts and other forms of protests in Pakistan, other Muslim-majority countries and several Western nations over Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip. In February last year, McDonald's cited boycott campaigns in the Middle East, Indonesia and Malaysia for sales growing just 0.7 percent during the fourth quarter of 2023, compared with 16.5 percent growth in the same quarter the previous year. Unilever – which produces Dove soap, Ben & Jerry's ice cream and Knorr stock cubes – also said sales in Indonesia in the same quarter had experienced a double-digit decline as a result of 'geopolitically focused, consumer-facing campaigns'. A KFC restaurant in the Pakistan-administered region of Kashmir was also set on fire in March last year as protesters chanted 'Free Palestine.' More than 51,900 people have been killed in Gaza during Israel's war, which began 18 months ago. At least 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023, and more than 200 were taken captive. KFC and its parent company Yum Brands have not yet responded to news of the arrests in Pakistan.
Express Tribune
19-04-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
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.
Express Tribune
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Over 170 arrested after mob attacks on fast-food chain outlets
Listen to article Police in Pakistan have arrested at least 178 individuals following a series of coordinated attacks on branches of a US-based fast-food chain during protests, officials confirmed this week. The incidents occurred over the past few weeks in major cities including Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad. At least 11 outlets of the chain were vandalised by demonstrators armed with sticks, with several locations sustaining damage to property. Security has since been increased, particularly in Lahore, where police say they are actively monitoring and protecting 27 outlets after two were attacked and five other attempted attacks were foiled. 'We are investigating the role of different individuals and groups in these attacks,' said Faisal Kamran, a senior police official in Lahore. He noted that 11 suspects were arrested in Lahore alone, including a member of a political group. However, the group, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), denied orchestrating the attacks. TLP spokesperson Rehan Mohsin Khan stated that while the party supports a boycott of Israeli products, it did not call for protests targeting the fast-food chain. 'If any individual claiming to be affiliated with our party engaged in such acts, they did so on their own,' he said. The inclidents are believed to have come amid a wave of boycotts and demonstrations against Western brands across Pakistan and other Muslim-majority nations, in response to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The fast-food chain and its parent company have not publicly responded to the incidents. Meanwhile, businesses in affected areas continue to bolster security as authorities investigate the coordinated nature of the unrest.
Saudi Gazette
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
Scores arrested over Pakistan KFC attacks, sparked by Gaza war protests
KARACHI — Police have arrested scores of people in Pakistan in recent weeks after more than 10 mob attacks on outlets of US fast-food chain KFC, Reuters reported. The attacks were sparked by anti-United States sentiment and opposition to its ally Israel's war in Gaza, officials said. Police in major cities in the Muslim nation, including the southern port city of Karachi, the eastern city of Lahore and the capital Islamabad, confirmed at least 11 incidents in which KFC outlets were attacked by protesters armed with sticks and vandalized. At least 178 people were arrested, the officials said this week. KFC and its parent Yum Brands, both US-based, did not respond to requests for comment. A police official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said one KFC employee 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 KFC 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 the religious party Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), were arrested in the city. He added the protests were not officially organized 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 KFC.' '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. KFC has long been viewed as a symbol of the United States in Pakistan and borne the brunt of anti-American sentiment in recent decades with protests and attacks. Western brands have been hit by boycotts and other forms of protests in Pakistan and other Muslim-majority countries in recent months over Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip. The war was triggered by the Palestinian militant group Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, in which 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. Since then, more than 51,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli offensive, according to local health authorities. Yum Brands has said one of its other brands, Pizza Hut, has faced a protracted impact from boycotts related to Israel's war in Gaza. In Pakistan, local brands have made inroads into its fast-growing cola market as some consumers avoid US brands. In 2023, Coca-Cola's market share in the consumer sector in Pakistan fell to 5.7% from 6.3% in 2022, according to GlobalData, while PepsiCo's fell to 10.4% from 10.8%. Earlier this month, religious clerics in Pakistan called for a boycott of any products or brands that they say support Israel or the American economy, but asked people to stay peaceful and not destroy property. — CNN
Daily Tribune
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Daily Tribune
Wave of Anti-American Protests Targets KFC Outlets in Pakistan; Over 170 Arrested
In recent weeks, police across Pakistan have arrested scores of individuals following a series of mob attacks on outlets of the U.S.-based fast-food giant KFC. The assaults, fueled by rising anti-American sentiment and opposition to Israel's military campaign in Gaza, have rocked major cities including Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad. Authorities confirmed that at least 11 separate attacks were recorded, where groups of stick-wielding protesters vandalized KFC restaurants. Police reported that 178 people have been arrested in connection with these incidents. Tragically, in Lahore, an employee of KFC was shot dead by unidentified gunmen at a store located on the city's outskirts. Officials said there was no protest underway at the time, and investigations are ongoing to determine whether the killing was politically motivated. In response to the unrest, Lahore police have tightened security around 27 KFC locations, following two successful attacks and the prevention of five more. Senior officer Faisal Kamran revealed that 11 suspects, including a member of the Islamist party Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), were detained, although the party has officially denied orchestrating any protests against KFC. TLP spokesman Rehan Mohsin Khan clarified that while the party has urged Muslims to boycott Israeli-linked products, it did not call for demonstrations targeting KFC. "If anyone claiming to be a TLP supporter has participated in such acts, it was done independently and does not reflect the party's policy," Khan added. KFC, long viewed as a symbol of American influence in Pakistan, has repeatedly faced backlash during waves of anti-U.S. protests. Recently, global outrage over Israel's ongoing offensive in Gaza has triggered boycotts and demonstrations against Western brands in several Muslim-majority countries, including Pakistan. The Gaza conflict was ignited by Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, which left 1,200 people dead and 251 hostages taken, according to Israeli reports. In response, Israeli military operations have led to the deaths of more than 51,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials. Meanwhile, Yum Brands, KFC's parent company, has also acknowledged that its other major chain, Pizza Hut, has suffered extended disruptions due to boycotts linked to the Gaza conflict. The anti-Western sentiment has even reshaped Pakistan's competitive beverage market. According to GlobalData, American soft drink giants Coca-Cola and PepsiCo both saw their market shares fall in 2023, as local alternatives gained ground. Earlier this month, Pakistani religious leaders publicly encouraged a boycott of brands linked to Israel or the U.S. economy but urged supporters to avoid violence and refrain from damaging property.
