8 held, policeman hurt as anti-Israel protest turns violent in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: A number of police officials were injured and at least eight activists of a religio-political party taken into custody after an anti-Israel protest outside a well-known fast food chain in the capital turned violent on Friday.

The Islami Jamiat Talba (IJT) had called for a demonstration against Israel outside the McDonald’s outlet in Sector F-9, a spokesperson for the Jamaat-i-Islami told.

Islamabad police said that they had received information on the 15 help­line regarding a group that was beating up women near a restaurant.

When police reached the scene, the protesters attacked them as well, leading to a physical confrontation that resulted in injuries to some personnel, including a superintendent of police.

The Islamabad police public relations officer told Dawn that over 100 baton-wielding activists gathered outside McDonald’s at F-9 Park, during which they entered the premises of the outlet and created a disturbance.

According to JI Pakistan Media Coordinator Rashid Umer Aolakh, IJT’s activists were staging a protest against ‘Jewish products’ at the multinational fast food outlet, adding that police arrived at the protest and started rounding up their activists.

He confirmed that a number of IJT activists had been arrested, but did not give an exact number.