One killed in clash outside US consulate

ISLAMABAD - At least one person was killed and ten others injured as clashes broke out between police and protestors outside the US consulate in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi on Sunday evening, said organizers of the protest.

The clashes broke out as the police tried to disperse thousands of people marching towards the U.S. consulate in protest against the recently US-made anti-Islam film, said Allama Nasir Abbas Jafri, spokesman of Majlis Wahdat ul Muslimeen, a local religious organization which organized the protest.

The peaceful protest turned out violent as police tried to stop the protestors from marching towards the U.S. consulate located at the Maulvi Tameezuddin Khan Road of the city.

Police fired at the protesting people with tear gas, water cannons and guns as they were retreating towards the consulate, said eyewitnesses.

Protestors fought back by pelting stones at the police.

Dozens of protestors have managed to break up the barriers set up by the police and reached the consulate.

They set a police check post in front of the consulate on fire. Some of the protestors climbed over the walls of the consulate and dragged down the U.S. flag over one of the gates of the consulate and hoisted their own flag.

Large contingent of Rangers, a paramilitary force in Pakistan, was later called in to back up the police outside the consulate.

At least 13 protestors were arrested outside the consulate. Protestors agreed to leave the consulate after negotiations with the police. ?

Organizers of the protest decided to launch a sit-in in protest against the police firing at the protestors somewhere else from the consulate. ?

During the clashes, at least three motorbikes were torched and six police vehicles were damaged, said local media.

Following the violent protest outside the U.S. consulate in Karachi, the government has order to deploy Rangers at all the sensitive areas in the city, including five-star hotels, schools and government buildings.