Egyptian demonstrators climbed the walls of the U.S. Embassy in Cairo today and pulled down the American flag to protest a film that they say is insulting to the Prophet Mohammad.Update at 2:07 p.m. ET: CNN reports that U.S. security guards fired a volley off warning shots as the crowd gathered outside the embassy walls.
CNN adds that the embassy had been expecting a demonstration and cleared all diplomatic personnel earlier from the facility.
Original post: The Associated Press reports that embassy officials say there was no staff inside at the time.
Reuters reports that protesters tried to raise a black flag carrying the slogan: "There is no god but Allah and Mohammad is his messenger."
The news agency says about 2,000 protesters have gathered outside the embassy and about 20 have scaled the walls.
The AP says the protesters were largely ultra conservative Islamists.
Iran's FARS news agency says the film is the work of a group of "extremist" members of the Egyptian Coptic Church in the United States.
Al Ahram online says the film is reportedly being produced by US-based Coptic-Christian Egyptians, including Esmat Zaklama and Morees Sadek, with the support of the Terry Jones Church in the United States.
Jones is the evangelical pastor who stirred controversy last year by threatening to burn a Koran in public.
CNN says the film in question is a Dutch production.
The AP says clips of the film are available on YouTube show the prophet having sex and question his role as the messenger of Godâ??s words.
Feels more and more like 1979. Why do we give these idiots 2 billion a year in aid again?