Angry protesters scale walls of US consulate, burn flag

A demonstration against a hate-mongering film directed by an American filmmaker turned violent on Monday when a large number of protesters managed to reach the US Consulate despite heavy deployment of police and burnt an American flag hoisted on the wall of the consulate, resulting in baton charging and tear gassing by the police.
The demonstration, organized by Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen, began outside the Lahore Press Club from where it started moving towards the nearby US consulate. The police had erected barriers and barbed wires to thwart the demonstrators, which included women and children. However, some of the protesters broke through the barriers and managed to scale the wall of the consulate where they pulled down an American flag and set it on fire.
The police resorted to baton charge and tear gassing to disperse the protesters who kept shouting anti-American slogans. The demonstrators also threw stones at the consulate.
The protesters, chanting “Down with America!” demanded the expulsion of the US ambassador and the boycott of all American goods.
Earlier, addressing the rally the organization’s Punjab President Maulana Abdul Malik Asadi condemned the Karachi police and rangers for baton charging a Shia rally protesting against the blasphemous film.
In a related event, Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Liaqat Baloch said that the anti-Islam film did not fall in the category of freedom of expression and the West’s claim in this regard was not logical.
Addressing an Azmat-e-Rasool conference, he said that the mischievous film had been in the making for months and if the US authorities had taken notice, the bloodshed going on currently could have been avoided.
He said that US policy makers were drunk on the Crusade mindset in line with the US World Order plan and they had no regard for human blood or world peace.
He said that the Pope had also uttered blasphemous outrage in Germany against Islam and the Holy Prophet (PBUH) while the US pastor Terry Jones was continuously indulging in desecration of the Quran and blasphemy of the Holy Prophet (PBUH).
Baloch said that the Muslims’ reaction worldwide was quite natural and the US rulers were responsible for the killings during the protests.
He called for stern action against all those involved in the film making. He also urged permanent representatives of Muslim states in the United Nations to initiate legal action against the filmmakers.