Protesters torch KFC in Tripoli, Lebanon (PHOTOS)

Published time: September 14, 2012 12:04
Edited time: September 14, 2012 22:53
Protestors torch KFC in Tripoli, Lebanon (Image from Twitter/@Racha93halabi)
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Demonstrators in Tripoli, Lebanon, burned down a restaurant belonging to US-based chain KFC in protest against an anti-Islamic film mocking the Prophet Muhammad. At least one person was killed and 24 were wounded in the clashes with police.

Following Friday prayers, hundreds of demonstrators massed in protest against the Pope's three-day visit to Lebanon and shouted anti-American slogans.

The chants included "We don't want the Pope," and "No more insults [to Islam]," witnesses reported.

Security forces fired warning shots into the air in an attempt to disperse the protesters, who marched from Tripoli’s Al-Mansouri Mosque to nearby Nour Square.

Another 300 protesters marched a half-kilometer down the road and attacked an American fast-food chain, setting the building on fire. The restaurant’s employees were evacuated.

Following the torching of the American restaurant, the Tripoli protesters regrouped and attempted to storm the Prime Minister’s headquarters at the Grand Serail. Witnesses in the area claimed they heard gunshots.

Lebanese officials confirmed that one person was killed and 25 were wounded in clashes between protesters and security forces, which then cordoned off the area to block the demonstrators’ advance. Twelve members of the security forces were wounded by stones thrown by protesters, Reuters reports.

The Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International (LBCI) reported that unknown assailants opened fire near the Tripoli Serail, prompting security forces to fire back, RT's Lucy Kafanov wrote on Twitter.

The violence came amid widespread protest in the Arab world against the incendiary anti-Islamic film ‘Innocence of Muslims.’

Lebanon is just another in a handful of countries hit by the wave of outrage sparked Tuesday by the anti-Islam movie “Innocence of Muslims.” In the most violent display of discontent so far, an armed mob killed four US diplomatic staff, including the ambassador to Libya, during an attack on the US Consulate in Benghazi.

On Thursday, Muslim protesters clashed with police near the US embassy in Cairo for the third consecutive day. Meanwhile, in Yemen at least four protesters were killed and dozens more injured when security forces opened fire at protesters after hundreds stormed the US Embassy in Sana'a, the country's capital.

FOLLOW RT’S LIVE UPDATES ON THE PROTESTS HERE.

Image from Twitter/@Racha93halabi
Image from Twitter/@Racha93halabi
Image from Twitter/@adelsamia
Image from Twitter/@adelsamia
Image from Twitter/@adelsamia
Image from Twitter/@adelsamia
A Hardee′s and a Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) fast food outlet burns after protesters set the building on fire in Tripoli, northern Lebanon September 14, 2012. (Reuters/Omar Ibrahim)
A Hardee's and a Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) fast food outlet burns after protesters set the building on fire in Tripoli, northern Lebanon September 14, 2012. (Reuters/Omar Ibrahim)
 Lebanese men ransack US fast food chains Hardee′s and KFC as they protest against the controversial film "Innocence of Muslims" in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli on September 14, 2012. (AFP Photo/Str)
Lebanese men ransack US fast food chains Hardee's and KFC as they protest against the controversial film "Innocence of Muslims" in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli on September 14, 2012. (AFP Photo/Str)
Lebanese security forces fire shots to disperse men ransacking US fast food chains Hardee′s and KFC as they protest against the controversial film "Innocence of Muslims" in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli on September 14, 2012. (AFP Photo/Str)
Lebanese security forces fire shots to disperse men ransacking US fast food chains Hardee's and KFC as they protest against the controversial film "Innocence of Muslims" in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli on September 14, 2012. (AFP Photo/Str)

Comments (76)

wittmann 20.09.2012 11:23

Borrla5222 wrote in #13
ed (unregistered) wrote in #7Send them Kentucky Fried Pork! Me? I like pork fried rice, pork ribs, pork chow mein, lemon pork, orange pork, and bacon and eggs. Mmm Mmm GOOD!  How is this possible? Jews like you and the others here can't eat pork either? Not Kosher hehe.Dumb jews. Well that shows how little you really know about Jews because many do in fact consume pork and pork products without a care. True, the more conservative ones do not and especially the fundamentalists avoid pork. Just like many muslims.  Interesting too that the Jewish fundamentalist branch are about as much in a past century as are the extreme muslims.

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Rayan (unregistered) 16.09.2012 16:48

Those who think this is a response to anti-Muslim film are mistaken (unregistered) wrote in #5
Those who think this is a response to anti-Muslim film are mistaken. this violent irruption in the Muslim world is more than an angry response to a film: this violence is much, much deeper than that. This is a response to U.S open and blatant agenda in the Arab world based on double standards and duplicities. I am Muslim, Sunni and secular and I have zero respect or sympathy for the aggressive U.S foreign policy and the U.S imperialist elite who brought death and destruction in the Muslim and the Arab world. I have praying for the moment when the entire Muslim world would turn on the U.S imperialistic aggression and now we see that moment is here. The U.S destroyed my homeland, my family and my culture.
BS . It doesn't take anything to inspire Muslims to violence like this. Remember when they did far worse all because of some silly cartoons published in Denmark? And they STILL hate the Danes because of that one silly cartoon. That was years and years ago. What aspect of Danish foreign policy has destroyed Muslim homelands? Denmark never invaded any Muslim country. Your whole argument is absurd. Muslims in this case are just being Muslims. Angry, bigoted, violent, hyperreactive, oversensitive, barbarians blinded by religious ignorance and racism. The KFC is no doubt franchised and operated by Lebanese, btw.

Any destruction of your culture or homeland or family I'm afraid you only have yourself to blame for. US foreign policy pursues peace, trade, and stability. They have worked with and helped many Muslim countries. It's not America's fault that you can't be civilized people.
 and if the entire Muslim world rose up to fight the USA, incidentally, they would still lose. America has the military power to kill every single man, woman and child in every Muslim country. They could do it EASILY, if that's what they wanted. Thank Allah that they have more restraint than you barbarians who will attack innocents at the slightest provocation!

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US most hated nation. (unregistered) 15.09.2012 07:48

US is the most hated country on earth. US, NATO and Israel are the greatest threats to global peace and security.

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