HK's Muslims rally to protest against US-made film

HONG KONG - Thousands of Muslims living in Hong Kong rallied to protest against a US-made anti-Islam film as well as French cartoons Sunday afternoon, briefly scuffling with policemen outside the US Consulate General in Hong Kong when they tried to deliver a letter of protest to the Consulate.

The demonstrators gathered at the Chater Garden in the city center for a rally organized by local religious and community groups. Organizers said about 5,000 people took part in the protest, while Hong Kong police put the figure at some 3,300.

Protesters prayed to the direction of Mecca, then listened to speeches and held up placards condemning the film "Innocence of Muslims", which is deemed by Muslims as an insult to Prophet Muhammad. They demanded that the US government take action against those who have made it.

About 800 protesters, as Hong Kong police put it, marched towards the US Consulate General in Hong Kong. Minor scuffles broke out when some protesters tried to break through a police cordon to present a petition. Angry protesters also burned American flags made of paper.

They eventually handed in the petition and dispersed.

Trailers of the US-made film mocking Prophet Muhammad available on video sharing website YouTube have sparked protests and evoked condemnations worldwide, especially in the Middle East, over the last several days. Last week, satirical French magazine Charlie Hebdo published cartoons mocking Prophet Muhammad, which further angered Muslims worldwide.

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