Pro-Palestine supporters in Algeria kick out KFC over financial support to Israel
Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) had its wings clipped in Algeria by pro-Palestine supporters.
The chain was forced to close its first restaurant in the North African country just days after it opened in mid-April.
Protesters targeted the branch over KFC’s perceived financial support of Israel during its on-going war against Palestinians in Gaza.
KFC’s not the only Western chain that’s suffering a backlash. Food and beverage companies are recording losses across North Africa and West Asia due to boycotts
According to Bloomberg, Starbucks suffered an $11b loss in the last quarter of 2023, mostly due to boycotts by pro-Palestine supporters..
However, Algeria was always going to be a hard nut to crack. The country has no diplomatic ties with Israel and is a long-standing ally of Palestine.
As President of the UN General Assembly in 1974-75, then-Algerian foreign affairs minister and later president, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, famously invited Yasser Arafat, chairman of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), to address the UN General Assembly.
Given the history, the fiery reaction to KFC in Algiers was sort of predictable.
