Western brands have been hit by boycotts and other forms of protest in the majority of Muslim countries due to the Gaza War.
Police have arrested nearly 200 people in Pakistan after being triggered by over 10 group attacks on outlets of US-based fast food chain KFC, anti-US sentiment, unconditional US support for Washington’s close ally Israel, and opposition to Israeli war in Gaza, officials say.
Fast food chains have been targeting protests and calls for boycotts by Islamic parties as they have linked their brands to Israeli support since the war began in Gaza.
At least 178 people have been arrested, officials said this week.
Police in major cities in Pakistan – including South Port City Karachi, the eastern city of Lahore and the capital Islamabad – have confirmed at least 11 incidents where KFC chicken restaurants were armed with sticks and attacked by destroyed protesters.
A police officer who spoke on condition of anonymity said that an unknown gunman had shot and killed a KFC employee at a store outside Lahore this week. Authorities added that there were no protests at the time, and police were investigating whether the killing was politically motivated or for some reason.
In Lahore, police said they are increasing security at 27 KFC outlets after two attacks and five were prevented.
“We are investigating the role of various individuals and groups in these attacks,” Faisal Kamran, a senior police officer in Lahore, told Reuters, adding that 11 people have been arrested in the city, including members of the Islamic party Telik e Rabai Pakistan (TLP). He added that the protests were not officially organized by the TLP.
TLP spokesman Rehan Mohsin Khan said the group “urged Muslims to boycott Israeli products, but no other than KFC have called for protest.”
“If someone else claiming to be a TLP leader or activist indulges in such activities, it should be viewed as his personal act that has nothing to do with party policies,” Khan said.
Western brands have been hit by boycotts and other forms of protest in Pakistan, the majority of other Muslim countries, and several Western countries over Israeli military attacks in the Gaza Strip.
Last February, McDonald’s cited boycott campaigns in the Middle East, Indonesia and Malaysia, which rose just 0.7% in the fourth quarter of 2023, compared to 16.5% growth in the same quarter the previous year.
Unilever, which produces Dove Soap, Ben & Jerry ice cream and Knorr stock cubes, said that sales in Indonesia in the same quarter also experienced double-digit declines as a result of a “geopolitical focused consumer campaign.”
KFC restaurants in Pakistan-controlled regions in Kashmir last March also flapped up as protesters chanted “Free Palestine.”
More than 51,900 people died in Gaza during the Israeli war that began 18 months ago.
At least 1,139 people were killed and more than 200 were taken prisoner in Israel during the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023.
KFC and its parent company Yum Brands have yet to respond to news of arrests in Pakistan.
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