Kabul: Violent protestors attack US base with stones and burn police cars
Afghan fire fighters extinguish a fire on Jalalabad Road in Kabul during an anti-US protest on Sept. 17, 2012. Hundreds staged a violent protest in Kabul on Monday against an American film mocking the Prophet Mohammed, throwing stones at a US base, torching cars and shouting ‘Death to America’, police said.
Violence instigated by an anti-Islam film has now spread to Kabul, Afghanistan.
It was the fourth day of protests in the city, which had largely remained peaceful, but early Monday thousands of protestors burned police cars and threw stones at police and a US base.
The Associated Press described the scene in Kabul:
"The air was thick with smoke on Jalalabad road — a main thoroughfare into the city center where the crowd burned shipping containers and tires."
Lieutenant-General Fahem Qayem, a police force commander, told the AP, "There were between 3,000 and 4,000 demonstrators. They burned some police cars, but we could split them up and prevent the insecurity widening."
The crowd shouted “Death to America!” and "Death to supporters of America," the Guardian reported.
Likely in an effort to avoid instances like those that occurred today, the Afghanistan government has blocked Youtube. The website will remain blocked until the anti-Islam film is removed.
Monday's violence follows days of sustained protests in at least 20 countries. It's important to note that while the film, Innocence of Muslims, may have lit the fuse, the protests are about much, much more.