Islamabad, April 19 — Pakistani police have arrested at least 178 people in recent weeks over a series of violent protests targeting KFC outlets, as anti-U.S. sentiment intensifies over Washington’s continued support for Israel amid the war in Gaza.
According to media reports, more than 10 vandalism attacks on KFC restaurants were reported across major cities, including Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad.
In March last year, a KFC branch in the Pakistan-controlled region of Kashmir was set on fire as crowds chanted “Free Palestine.”
“Public anger is growing over the ongoing atrocities in Gaza and the blind backing of Israel by the U.S.,” a senior police official in Lahore said, as reported by Al Jazeera.
One KFC worker was shot and killed earlier this week at a branch on the outskirts of Lahore.
Police said the incident occurred in the absence of any protest, and an investigation is under way to determine whether the killing was politically motivated.
The fast-food brand has become a symbolic target for pro-Palestine demonstrators, especially since the war in Gaza began nearly 18 months ago. Over 51,900 people have been killed in the war.
Boycott movements and anti-Western protests have spread across Muslim-majority nations and even into Western countries.
In February 2024, McDonald’s said its sales rose just 0.7 percent in the fourth quarter of 2023, a sharp drop from 16.5 percent growth during the same period the previous year. The company noted widespread boycotts in the Middle East, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
Unilever also reported a double-digit drop in sales in Indonesia, linking it to “geopolitically focused, consumer-facing campaigns.” The company owns household names like Dove, Knorr, and Ben & Jerry’s.