US Politics |OT|

[SvennoJ]

KFC outlets in Pakistan attacked in Gaza war protest

Police have arrested scores of people in Pakistan in recent weeks after attacks on outlets of the US fast-food chain KFC, sparked by anti-US sentiment and opposition to its support of Israel’s war on Gaza, officials said.

Police in major cities, 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 vandalised. At least 178 people were arrested, the officials said this week.

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.

KFC’s parent company, US-based Yum Brands, has been affected by 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.



US firm Cisco bars discussions on Gaza

US news outlet Zeteo is reporting that Cisco fired an employee who was outspoken on Palestine, accusing them of making comments that “contribute to a harmful work environment and harm other employees”.

Zeteo shared a video of Cisco’s Chief People, Policy & Purpose Officer Francine Katsoudas announcing the new restrictions on discussions related to the Middle East during a company meeting.

“Some topics are just simply too hard, too painful, too divisive. One example specifically would be the ongoing conflict in the Middle East,” Katsoudas said. “We have made the decision that this topic cannot be discussed, cannot be debated, in company or organisation-wide meetings.”

Cisco has faced widespread criticism for providing technologies used by the Israeli military, with rights advocates accusing the firm of being complicit in the killings of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

“As one of the main providers of networking hardware for the Israeli military, Cisco is potentially implicated in the mass killing of tens of thousands of Palestinians” during the war, Investigate, a project of the American Friends Service Committee, says on its website.

In October, the US news outlet WIRED also reported that Cisco employees seeking to advocate for Palestine within the company said they had been marginalised.