Police in Pakistan have arrested several people following a wave of protests against KFC outlets, which left one man dead. The protests, which have taken place across the country, are tied to public anger over the ongoing war in Gaza.

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Protesters have called for a boycott of the fast-food chain, claiming it represents the United States and its ally, Israel.

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Pakistan’s Minister of State for the Interior, Talal Chaudhry, told the BBC that at least 20 attacks or attempted attacks on KFC stores were recorded in the past week.

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Some of these incidents were captured on social media, showing crowds with iron rods storming into KFC outlets and threatening to burn them down. In Karachi, two KFC stores were set ablaze.

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One video shows a man shouting, “They are buying bullets with the money you make.”

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Minister Chaudhry condemned the violence, saying, “Most of the vendors involved are Pakistani” and “the profits go to Pakistanis.”

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Tragically, a staff member at one of the KFC locations was killed during one of the protests. According to police, 45-year-old Asif Nawaz was working in the kitchen at a KFC in Sheikhupura, near Lahore, on 14 April when he was shot.

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Sheikhupura’s Regional Police Officer, Athar Ismail, said Nawaz was hit in the shoulder by a bullet fired from over 100 feet away. Although bullets fired from that distance are rarely fatal, a post-mortem revealed that the bullet traveled from his shoulder to his chest, leading to his death.

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Ismail told the BBC that the main suspect is still on the run, but police have arrested 40 people so far. He added that there is no evidence Nawaz was specifically targeted and that the shooting may have been accidental.

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Since the war in Gaza began, protests have erupted in Pakistan against Western brands seen as supporting Israel. Although the Islamist party Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) has encouraged demonstrations against Israel and the U.S., it has denied any involvement in the KFC attacks.

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A TLP spokesperson, Rehan Mohsin Khan, stated, “The group has urged Muslims to boycott Israeli products, but it has not given any call for protest outside KFC.”

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Pakistan’s leading Sunni scholar, Mufti Taqi Usmani, has also spoken out against the war and supported boycotts of companies believed to be linked to Israel. However, he urged protesters to remain peaceful.

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At the National Palestine Conference on Thursday, Usmani said, “It is essential to boycott products and companies from or linked to Israel,” but added that Islam “is not a religion that encourages harming others” and said it is prohibited to “throw stones or put anyone's life at risk.”

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“So, continue your protest and boycott, but do so in a peaceful manner. There should not be any element of violence or non-peaceful behavior,” he said.

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This is not the first time Western brands have been targeted in Muslim countries since the Israel-Gaza war began. Last year, McDonald’s announced it would buy back its Israeli branches after sales dropped due to boycotts.

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Starbucks also faced backlash and called for peace, saying its views were “misrepresented.”

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KFC and its parent company, Yum Brands, have not yet responded to the BBC’s request for comment.

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