Posted on 02/04/2006 3:48:14 PM PST by Shermy
DAMASCUS (AFP) - Angry crowds stormed the buildings housing the Danish and Norwegian embassies in Damascus, setting fire to both in protest over the publication of cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed, an AFP correspondent said.
They then moved on to the French embassy, but were kept at bay by riot police using tear gas and water cannons.
The Chilean embassy, located on the first floor in the same building as the Danish mission, was the one damaged. The fire did not appear to touch the Swedish embassy located on the second floor, nor the Danish embassy on the third.
Several dozen demonstrators among what state news agency SANA said was a crowd of several thousand, scaled the facade. Some climbed over the balcony of the Chilean embassy, broke in and threw potted plants, furniture and computers out.
Others on the ground used the furniture as fuel to start a fire. The flames set light to the Chilean balcony but it was not clear if they reached inside.
Initial reports said demonstrators had broken into the Danish embassy and trashed it before setting it on fire. These reports were later denied.
In Copenhagen and Oslo, the governments reacted by advising their nationals to leave Syria immediately.
Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said he had telephoned his Syrian counterpart, Faruq al-Shara and told him "this was completely unacceptable."
He added that Shara "had distanced himself from the attack, and he apologized."
The Swedish government said it would lodge an official complaint with the Syrian authorities, while there was no immediate reaction from Chile.
The afternoon's violence was preceded by a demonstration in which protesters converged in the capital's Rawda Square, carrying banners saying: "chase out of the country the ambassadors of all the countries that have insulted the prophet."
They carried copies of the Koran, portraits of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the flags of Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.
An American flag was burned, and demonstrators called for boycotting US products and "punishing those who dare to insult our sacred principles."
During the angry protests outside the building housing the Danish, Swedish and Chilean embassies, demonstrators ripped the three countries' coats of arms off the walls. One later triumphantly brandished the Danish crest in the air.
The protesters threw rocks at riot police who had set up a security cordon and tried to block fire trucks from reaching the scene.
A number of them then headed towards a four-storey building housing the Norwegian embassy, one kilometre (0.6 miles) away. Riot police had set up a security cordon there and initially beat back the crowd, using batons and tear gas.
Eventually the demonstrators broke through and entered the embassy, setting fire to the second floor. They first sacked the offices and threw furniture out of the windows.
There were no reports of injuries at any of the diplomatic missions.
Around 20 demonstrators were hurt in the clashes with police outside the Norwegian embassy and had to be hospitalized.
After the attack on the Norwegian mission, the crowd moved on to the French embassy.
There security forces used tear gas and water cannons to prevent demonstrators from storming the building, AFP reporters said. By late Saturday night, virtually all of the demonstrators had dispersed.
During the incidents at the French embassy, Syrian Minister for Religious Affairs Mohammed Ziad Ayyoubi stood atop a fire truck and called for calm, telling the demonstrators the "interests of the country" were at stake.
After the Danish and Norwegian missions were attacked, other protesters took to the streets denouncing the publication of the cartoons.
"With our souls and with our blood, we will sacrifice ourselves for the prophet," shouted several hundred marchers.
"We will not keep quiet," and "There is but one God," they also shouted.
Telephone text messages had been circulating in Damascus claiming that Danes were going to be gathering in one of Copenhagen's main squares on Saturday to burn copies of the Koran. People were urged to gather at the embassy to protest.
These were similar to messages being sent in Egypt earlier this week.
"Denmark wants to burn the sacred Koran on Saturday in Copenhagen in response to the Muslim boycott (of Danish products)," the message in Egypt said, calling on Muslims to curse the Danish.
"Send (this message on) and you will be rewarded," the text said.
Twelve cartoons, first published last September by the conservative Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, have caused an uproar in the Muslim world and set off a new cultural battle over freedom of speech and religious tolerance.
Incensed Muslims have demonstrated against Danes and other Europeans, burned Danish flags and boycotted the country's products.
In some Muslim countries, Danish ambassadors have been recalled and Westerners threatened.
The attack in the Syrian capital was not the first against a Danish diplomatic mission.
On Friday, a crowd of around 100 men stormed the building housing the Danish embassy in Jakarta, chanting "Let's go (on) jihad (holy war). We're ready for jihad."
The group broke through security to enter the building's lobby, where they smashed lamps and threw eggs, but were quickly ejected by police and their own leaders.
Outside, several of them then pelted the embassy's coat of arms with eggs.
In Jerusalem, thousands of angry worshippers demonstrated in the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, shouting: "Condemnations are not enough. You have to reply with fire."
Is there anyone else that finds this to be just a bit too much?
From the pics I've seen the Second Floor Swedish embassy at least suffered bad smoke damage.
Or a swine making a man out of mohammed. We could print them up and drop leaflets over the next haj.
STAMPEDES
Lame analogy.
Good point. In a totalitarian society, there is no such thing as a "spontaneous demonstration".
The Chileans would be advised to invoice the Assad regime.
Only in Araby...
No. They rely on Uncle Sugar.
How so?
Has anyone at any of the embassies been hurt? If not, Ferret Face has been very lucky.
Moderate muslims use a remote control detonator.
What, he moved over to the next block to set fire to a different embassy?
I think your sentiments are misdirected given the news. Christianity and Islam are completely different in nature. The comparison you made indicates an equality that is not true IMHO.
Good point, for partial credit. Not all muslims are islamists.
Good analysis.
These protestors are not the sharpest rocks in the Jihadist masses.
Nice to know who you're rooting for, Drango...
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