Egyptian protesters storm US Embassy walls

Angry protesters climbed the walls of the US Embassy in Cairo today and hauled down the American flag, replacing it with a black standard with Islamic emblems, apparently in protest of the production of a film thought to insult the Prophet Mohammed.

According to CNN, the incident prompted a volley of warning shots to be fired as a large crowd gathered outside.

The replacement flag read, "There is no God but Allah and Mohammad is his messenger."

An embassy operator said that the facility had been cleared of diplomatic personnel earlier Tuesday, ahead of the apparent threat, while Egyptian riot police were called to help secure the area.

In a statement today, the US Embassy said that it "condemns the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims -- as we condemn efforts to offend believers of all religions."

"Respect for religious beliefs is a cornerstone of American democracy. "We firmly reject the actions by those who abuse the universal right of free speech to hurt the religious beliefs of others."

It is not clear which film upset the protesters in Cairo.

The incident occurred on the 11th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania, as crowds gathered in somber remembrance of the nearly 3,000 people killed that day.

editorial@gleanerjm.com