As violent protests rage in Pakistan over the anti-Islamic film Innocence of Muslims, Yum! Brands announced they are temporarily closing all KFC locations in the country. A spokesman for the company said the move is a “precautionary measure.”
“The will continually monitor the situation to decide when to re-open,” said spokesman Christopher Fuller.
There are over 60 KFC restaurants in Pakistan. Friday’s announcement from Yum! comes a week after a KFC, a Hardee’s and a Krispy Kreme were damaged by protesters in Tripoli, Lebanon.
The anti-American protests first erupted on September 11 outside U.S. embassies in Cairo, Egypt and Benghazi, Libya. The Benghazi demonstrations led to the deaths of Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans. Protests then spread across northern Africa and the Middle East.
Innocence of Muslims was written and produced by Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, an Egyptian immigrant living in California. Nakoula used the pseudonym Sam Bacile for the film and recent interviews. Portions of the film, which ridicules Islam’s prophet Mohammed, were posted on YouTube.
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