Six injured as anti-film protesters try to march on US consulate

KARACHI, Sept 16: At least six people protesting against the anti-Islam film were injured when police fired teargas shells and used water canons to stop a procession from marching on the American consulate here on Sunday evening. Three police vans, a bus and a petrol station were torched during violence.

The participants of the march organised by the Imamia Students` Organisation and Majlis Wahdat-iMuslimeen managed to reach the consulate on M.T. Khan Road from the Numaish intersection.

Although police had placed containers on the road and beefed up security around the consulate and also fired into the air to disperse the crowd, `amid shelling, some youngsters managed to scale the wall of the consulate and hoist flags,` an ISO activist said.

A police kiosk near the consulate was also set ablaze.

Police rounded up around 20 protesters.

A spokesman for the US consulate, Richard Silver, told AFP: `There has been no damage or injury to any of our personnel at the consulate.

Reuters adds: Around 1,000 protesters began throwing stones and police responded with teargas and by firing into the air, police official Fayyaz Laghari said. Two policemen were also injured.

One person was killed when unknown people opened fire during a protest in Hyderabad, police said.