Tipsheet

U.S. Embassy in Yemen Stormed, U.S. Flag Burned and Replaced

The Middle East is burning. The U.S. Embassy in Yemen has been stormed as angry Muslims continue to show their outrage over a film depicting their profit Muhammad in a negative light.

Chanting "death to America," hundreds of protesters angered by an anti-Islam film stormed the U.S. Embassy compound in Yemen's capital and burned the American flag on Thursday, the latest in a series of attacks on American diplomatic missions in the Middle East.

The protesters breached the usually tight security around the embassy and reached the compound grounds but did not enter the main building housing the offices. Once inside the compound, they brought down the U.S. flag, burned it and replaced it with a black banner bearing Islam's declaration of faith — "There is no God but Allah."

Before storming the grounds, demonstrators removed the embassy's sign on the outer wall, set tires ablaze and pelted the compound with rocks.

Meanwhile, violent protests erupted again in Egypt last night as hundreds of people gathered outside of the U.S. Embassy there.

Demonstrators threw rocks and Molotov cocktails as police tried to disperse them by firing tear gas canisters from police vehicles as they drove through Tahrir Square, near the embassy.

At least 13 protesters and six police officers were injured, Egyptian government officials said Thursday.

UPDATE: Protests have also broken out in Iraq.