New Delhi — A group advocating Palestinian rights, Indian People in Solidarity with Palestine (IPSP), staged a protest on Monday outside a McDonald’s outlet in Rohini West, Delhi. The demonstration was part of the international Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, aimed at raising awareness about corporate complicity in the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
Activists gathered outside the fast-food chain, distributing pamphlets detailing what they described as McDonald’s “direct involvement in the cold-blooded murder of Palestinians.” The protesters used visual tools such as posters, placards, and artworks to explain the objectives of the BDS movement and draw public attention to McDonald’s alleged role in supporting Israeli military actions.
Addressing the crowd, an IPSP member cited that McDonald’s franchise in Israel had publicly donated thousands of meals and drinks to Israeli soldiers. The act, reportedly promoted through the company’s official social media platforms, was condemned by the protestors as an open endorsement of war crimes.
Protesters also referenced McDonald’s Malaysia, which filed a lawsuit in 2024 against activists supporting the Palestinian cause, accusing them of defamation—an action perceived by protestors as a tactic to suppress global solidarity efforts.
A member of the BDS India movement stressed that international corporations like McDonald’s must be held accountable for their actions. “India, having suffered under 200 years of colonial rule, naturally empathizes with the Palestinian struggle for liberation,” the activist remarked.
This protest follows a series of recent demonstrations held outside various commercial outlets such as Starbucks, Tata Zudio, and Reliance Trends, all of whom have been accused by protestors of being complicit in Israel’s war against Gaza.
Last month, IPSP’s protest outside the Israel Embassy in Delhi resulted in several detentions by local police.
