Prophet Mohammed cartoon violence in Pakistan

Associated Press:

More than 1,000 protesters stormed into Islamabad's diplomatic district while thousands vandalized Western businesses and torched a government building in another city Tuesday, in Pakistan's worst wave of violence against the Prophet Mohammed cartoons, officials said.

At least two people were killed.

Interior Minister Aftab Khan Sherpao said two protesters died in the worst of the violence in the eastern city of Lahore, when a bank security guard opened fire to prevent demonstrators from forcing their way into a bank.

He said paramilitary troops were deployed in the city to restore order, after stone-throwing protesters ran amok.

Witnesses said rioters torched the provincial assembly building and targeted Western businesses, breaking windows at a Holiday Inn hotel and Pizza Hut, KFC and McDonald's restaurants.

They also damaged more than 200 cars, two banks, dozens of shops and a large portrait of President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, witnesses said.

The protesters also looted the office of Telenor, a Norwegian mobile phone company, and people ran away with computers, mobile phones and other equipment, witnesses said.

Clouds of tear gas were hanging over central Lahore where the violence was occurred.

On Monday, police fired tear gas and wielded batons to stop about 7,000 students protesting the publication of the Prophet Mohammed cartoons from marching on the governor's residence in Peshawar.

The students had earlier marched to several universities in Peshawar and hurled stones at a Christian school, breaking windows and causing other damage. They also threw stones at shops in the city's main business district, chanting "Down with America" and "Down with Denmark."

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