After a controversial prank video drew widespread backlash, ISKCON devotees were seen chanting “Hare Krishna, Hare Rama” outside a KFC outlet, reportedly in New York. The protest follows an incident involving British YouTuber ‘Cenzo’, who filmed himself eating chicken inside Govinda’s, a vegan restaurant linked to an ISKCON temple in London.

Cenzo’s video, which was widely shared on social media, showed him entering the religiously affiliated restaurant with a KFC meal and consuming it while recording the act as a prank. Despite being cautioned by staff, he allegedly continued to taunt them.

The act was widely condemned online as offensive and disrespectful to the spiritual and dietary values upheld by the ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) community.

ISKCON Devotees Chant Bhajans Outside KFC

In response, a social media user posted a video of ISKCON devotees chanting peacefully outside a KFC outlet. The caption read, “They come to our restaurants to harass us, & we come to uplift their consciousness. Hare Kṛṣṇa.” The video has since gone viral, with many praising the non-violent response as a dignified protest rooted in the values of the faith.

They come to our restaurants to harass us, & we come to uplift their consciousness. 🙌 Hare Kṛṣṇa pic.twitter.com/7dQm5D42qx

— Senāpati Bhakta (@bhaktSenapati) July 22, 2025

Facing backlash, Cenzo issued a public apology, admitting that he was unaware of the restaurant’s connection to a Hindu temple. “If I had known that the restaurant was with the temple, I would have never filmed that prank and left. My actions were ill-timed and irresponsible,” he wrote.

Govinda’s restaurants, known for their sattvic (pure vegetarian) cuisine, operate across the world and are often located near ISKCON temples. The prank has reignited conversations around cultural sensitivity and respect for religious spaces, especially in the digital age where “content creation” often blurs ethical boundaries.