Anti-American rioting spread yesterday to Tunisia, where police used tear gas to stop hundreds of protesters from storming the United States Embassy in protest over a film mocking the prophet Mohammed.
The throngs of demonstrators, who carried the white and black banners of militant Salifist Muslims, had been protesting peacefully in Tunis for hours when about 300 started to break through the gates.
The embassy remained open as police forced the protesters back.
Earlier, the US embassies in Tunisia and Algeria warned Americans to avoid crowded places because of expected protests.
In Egypt, the powerful Muslim Brotherhood called for peaceful nationwide protests tomorrow “outside all the main mosques.”
Egyptian Prime Minister Hisham Qandil said the United States should take a “firm stand” with the movie’s producers and act in accordance with international agreements that “criminalize actions that create sectarian strife” on the basis of race, color or religion.
In Cairo, some 200 Islamists yesterday staged a second day of protest outside the US Embassy, but there was no repeat of the previous day’s scaling of the embassy walls. Security guards maintained the building’s perimeter today against more protesters, some who hurled Molotov cocktails, CNN reported.
And in Gaza City, dozens of protesters carrying swords, axes and black flags chanted “Shame on everyone who insults the prophet.”
The rally was organized by supporters of a militant group aligned with the ruling Hamas movement.
Meanwhile in Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came under fire for his latest dust-up with President Obama.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Tzipi Livni said the dispute between Obama and Netanyahu over how to deal with Tehran is only helping the Iranians. “They hear representatives of the U.S. say they are not going to be partners in an Israeli adventure, and from that moment they feel more secure,” Livni said in an interview on Israeli Army Radio.
Netanyahu, meanwhile, called Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper to thank him for expelling all Iranian diplomats and recall home its diplomats from Tehran.
“Your decision is an example of leadership and morality,” Netanyahu said in what was seen as a knock at Obama. “This is an example of the right message that the international community needs to send to Iran at the present time.”