Nineteen people were killed in protests in Pakistan on Friday, the deadliest day of protests yet in reaction to an amateur anti-Muslim U.S. film. Protesters set fire to a motorway tollbooth outside the capital and two cinema buildings in the northwestern city of Peshawar, killing several, including a driver for a Pakistani TV station who was shot when police opened fire to disperse demonstrators. Pakistan’s government declared a “day of love for the Prophet” in a move that highlights the influence of religious parties in the country’s politics. In anticipation of demonstrations, the U.S. closed its embassy in Jakarta and Germany closed its embassy in Khartoum. Despite President Obama’s efforts to condemn the film, the U.S. has borne the brunt of anger in the Middle East, though a caricature mocking the Prophet Muhammad in a satirical French magazine has further incensed protesters.
