Editor's note: Several protests stemming at least in part from an anti-Islam film produced in the United States are unfolding outside U.S. embassies around the world. Friday's protests follow ones Tuesday at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo and the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, where attacks killed the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other Americans.
In Tunisia, protesters have scaled a U.S. Embassy gate and set fire to cars on the property, a journalist there says. In Egypt, the influential Muslim Brotherhood canceled nationwide protests planned for Friday, but a running battle between police and protesters in Cairo continued into its fourth day.
Follow the live blog below for all of the developments around the world.
[Updated at 3:04 p.m. ET] A ceremony at Maryland's Joint Base Andrews for the returned bodies of the four Americans killed at the Benghazi consulate has ended, and the caskets are being carried to hearses. See the 2:59 and 2:51 p.m. entries for remarks by President Barack Obama, who said the four laid down their lives "in service to us all."
[Updated at 2:59 p.m. ET] President Barack Obama, at a ceremony at Maryland's Joint Base Andrews for the returned bodies of the four Americans killed at the Benghazi consulate, added:
"The United States of America will never retreat from the world. We will never stop working for the dignity and freedom that every (person) deserves. ... That’s the essence of American leadership. ... That was their work in Benghazi, and that is the work we will carry on."
At the beginning and toward the end of his remarks, Obama cited the Bible's John 15:13: "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." Obama said the four killed Americans laid down their lives "in service to us all."
"Their sacrifice will never be forgotten," Obama said.
[Updated at 2:51 p.m. ET] President Barack Obama, at a ceremony for the returned bodies of the four Americans killed at the Benghazi consulate, is now eulogizing the four at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
Ambassador Chris Stevens, Obama said, "was everything America could want in an ambassador."
"Four Americans, four patriots. They loved this country. They chose to serve it, and served it well," Obama said. "They had a mission they believed in. They knew the danger, and they accepted it. They didn't simply embrace the American ideal, they lived it; they embodied it. The courage, the hope, and yes, the idealism - that fundamental American belief that we could leave this world a little better than before."
Ex-SEALs, online gaming maven among Benghazi dead
[Updated at 2:45 p.m. ET] At a ceremony for the returned bodies of the four Americans killed at the Benghazi consulate, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said:
"Today we bring home four Americans who gave their lives for our country and our values. To the families of our fallen colleagues, I offer our most heartfelt condolences and deepest gratitude."
She saluted Sean Smith, a computer expert, as someone known as "an expert on technology by colleagues in Pretoria, Baghdad, Montreal and The Hague."
She hailed ex-Navy SEAL Tyrone Woods as someone who protected diplomatic personnel since 2010 "in dangerous posts" around the world.
"He had the hands of a healer as well as the arms of a warrior, earning distinction as a registered nurse and certified paramedic," Clinton said of Woods.
Clinton also hailed the other ex-Navy SEAL, Glen Doherty. "He, too, died as he lived, serving his country and protecting his colleagues."
Clinton said Stevens, as a diplomat, "won friends for the United States in far-flung places.” She thanked his parents, who were at the ceremony, for the "gift" that Stevens was.
The ceremony was at a hangar at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
[Updated at 2:35 p.m. ET] The ceremony for the returned bodies of the four Americans killed at the Benghazi consulate has begun. A prayer is being offered. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will speak soon, followed by Obama.
[Updated at 2:31 p.m. ET] Marines at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland are removing from a plane the flag-draped caskets of four Americans killed in the consulate attack in Libya, including U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens. The caskets will be placed at a hangar nearby, and President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will give remarks.
[Updated at 2:28 p.m. ET] We're awaiting a ceremony at which U.S. President Barack Obama will honor the arrival of the bodies of of U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans killed in the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya.
Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Leon Penetta have entered the hangar where the ceremony will take place at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
[Updated at 2:22 p.m. ET] Marines will take the caskets off a plane at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will give remarks. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta will also be present, Pentagon spokesman George Little said.
People are seated at a facility on the base. The caskets will flank the podium from which Obama and Clinton will speak.
[Updated at 1:41 p.m. ET] Three people were killed and 28 wounded during protests outside the U.S. Embassy in Tunis on Friday, Tunisia state television reported.
[Updated at 1:23 p.m. ET] U.S. President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will join Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at this afternoon's "transfer of remains ceremony" marking the return of the remains of the four Americans killed this week in Benghazi, Libya.
Obama and Clinton will deliver brief remarks at the 2:15 p.m. ET ceremony at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
[Updated at 1:15 p.m. ET] Here is video from today's protests in Khartoum, Sudan:
[Updated at 12:23 p.m. ET] Nigerian military and police fired shots to disperse a crowd of protesters in the city of Jos, an eyewitness said.
About 2,000 people protesting the anti-Islamic film gathered at a central mosque, and security forces intervened when the crowd started moving toward the city center.
[Updated at 12:15 p.m. ET] Some protesters who scaled the gates of the U.S. Embassy in Tunis, Tunisia, reached a garden outside the building but have not breached the building itself, journalist Zeid Mhirsi reports.
Also, the thick, black smoke that we previously reported was near the Embassy is coming from burning vehicles on the Embassy grounds, Mhirsi reported.
Earlier, he reported that protesters took down a U.S. flag from a pole at the Embassy and replaced it with a black flag. Police were firing tear gas in an attempt to disperse them. (See 10:20 and 10:42 a.m. entries.) Hard-line Muslims known as Salafists were among the demonstrators, Mhirsi reported.
[Updated at 12:06 p.m. ET] Some Friday protests that hadn't yet been mentioned in this blog post:
- In Afghanistan, hundreds of demonstrators in the eastern Nangarhar province burned a U.S. flag and chanted "Death to America" and "We condemn the film." The demonstration lasted about an hour and ended peacefully, a local official said. The Afghan government has ordered an indefinite block of YouTube to prevent people there from watching the clips and staging violent protests.
- In Baghdad, Iraq, hundreds of followers of the radical Shiite Muslim cleric Muqtada al-Sadr chanted "No to America, no to Israel."
- In Jerusalem, Palestinians marched from the al-Aqsa mosque toward the U.S. Consulate, but were prevented from reaching the mission by Israeli riot forces.
- In Syria, hundreds gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Damascus. Protesters waved placards that condemned the film and blamed the U.S. administration for allowing the production and broadcast of it, according to the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency.
- In Iran, the Islamic Propagation Coordination Council called for nationwide rallies Friday to protest the film and what it is calling a U.S.-backed plot against Muslims, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.
[Updated at 11:57 a.m. ET] An update on Friday's protest outside the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum, Sudan: Journalist Isma'il Kushkush says no protesters have been able to get inside the compound, and that police and security forces appear to have the situation under control.
Small fires are burning nearby. Kushkush said he believes protesters set tires ablaze. For more on the Khartoum protests, including one at the German Embassy there, see the 9:54 and 8:42 a.m. entries.
[Updated at 11:52 a.m. ET] Ninety-three protesters have been arrested in Egypt since Thursday night, Egyptian Interior Ministry spokesman Alaa Mahmoud said. Forty-eight officers have been injured, he added.
[Updated at 11:40 a.m. ET] Protesters in southern India have been arrested on suspicion of throwing rocks at the U.S. Consulate in Chennai, the city police commissioner said. As many as 200 protesters were demonstrating in front of the building, but the number arrested was not reported. There were no reported injuries.
[Updated at 10:57 a.m. ET] Video from Tunisia's capital shows thick, black smoke rising from an area near the U.S. Embassy. It's not clear what was on fire.
Protesters there had taken down a U.S. flag from the embassy property and replaced it with a black flag, journalist Zeid Mhirsi reported. Police fired tear gas at protesters as some of them climbed the property's walls.
[Updated at 10:42 a.m. ET] Protesters have taken down a U.S. flag from a pole at the U.S. Embassy in Tunis, Tunisia, and replaced it with a black flag, journalist Zeid Mhirsi reports.
Earlier, Mhirsi reported protesters were climbing the building's gates, and police fired tear gas in an attempt to disperse them. (See 10:20 a.m. entry.) Hard-line Muslims known as Salafists were among the demonstrators, Mhirsi reported.
[Updated at 10:25 a.m. ET] A U.S. Marine Corps security team is being sent to help protect U.S. diplomatic installations in Yemen, including the Embassy in Saana, a senior U.S. official said, according to CNN's Barbara Starr.
Earlier today, Yemeni police opened fire to stop protesters from reaching the U.S. Embassy in Saana, witnesses said (see 7:31 a.m. entry).
The protection team is similar to the team of 50 Marines that was sent earlier this this week to Tripoli, Libya, in the wake of the attack in Benghazi.
[Updated at 10:20 a.m. ET] Protesters are climbing the gates of the U.S. Embassy in Tunis, Tunisia, and police have fired tear gas in an attempt to disperse them, journalist Zeid Mhirsi reports.
Some protesters, who are about 20 meters outside the U.S. Embassy gates, are throwing rocks at the police, Mhirsi says. He says
that some protesters are waving black flags as they attempt to vandalize the gates.
[Updated at 10:15 a.m. ET] U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is scheduled to receive the remains of the U.S. diplomats killed in Libya at Andrews Air Force Base at 2 p.m. ET Friday.
[Updated at 10:13 a.m. ET] Add Tunisia to the list of Friday's protests. Hundreds of protesters have left Friday prayers and are heading to the U.S. Embassy in a neighborhood in Tunis, journalist Zeid Mhirsi reported. There is a strong Tunisian police presence in the area.
Hard-line Muslims known as Salafists were among the demonstrators, who were in pickup trucks and on foot.
[Updated at 9:54 a.m. ET] Ron Hawkins, a spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum, said that because Friday is a non-work day, most of the staff and Embassy personnel are not there as protesters gather outside the building. As far as security goes, Marines are assigned there, and local police officers were sent there earlier Friday as a precautionary measure, Hawkins said.
Earlier Friday, a fire was set at the vacated German Embassy as protesters gathered there. The protest at the U.S. building so has been peaceful, journalist Isma'il Kamal Kushkush said (see 8:42 a.m. entry).
[Updated at 9:31 a.m. ET] More information from Khartoum, Sudan: Protesters have gathered outside the U.S. Embassy there, a journalist at the scene said. The demonstration is peaceful so far.
Earlier today, protesters in Khartoum set the German Embassy on fire and also rallied outside the nearby UK Embassy (see 8:42 a.m. entry). The German Embassy was vacated before the protests.
[Updated at 9:24 a.m. ET] Lebanon has joined the list of Friday protests. One person was killed by police in Tripoli, Lebanon, after a group of armed men stormed a KFC restaurant amid protests in the city, Lebanese security forces told CNN.
About 40 armed men were spotted among 3,000 protesters, officials said.
Gen. Bassam Ayoubi, of the Lebanese internal security forces, said a group of armed men stormed the KFC and asked people to leave. Ayoubi said that the armed men then set the KFC on fire, at which time police arrived and began to fire at the armed men, killing at least one of them. Twenty-five were injured, he said, but it wasn't clear which of the injured were on which side.
[Updated at 9:09 a.m. ET] The German Embassy in Khartoum, Sudan, was vacated before the protest that reportedly has set the building on fire, the German Foreign Ministry said.
The German Foreign Ministry also said that the Sudanese ambassador to Germany has been called in to the German
Foreign Ministry in Berlin to discuss the situation in Khartoum.
Journalist Isma'il Kamal Kushkush told CNN about 30 minutes ago that the German Embassy in Khartoum was on fire after protests against the online anti-Islam video.
[Updated at 9 a.m. ET] An update on protests in Egypt, while we await more information about the burning German Embassy in Sudan:
Fifteen protesters have been injured in Egypt on Friday, according to Dr. Mohamed Sultan, a health ministry spokesman. Most of the injuries were related to inhaling tear gas or getting it into their eyes.
Two hundred twenty-four people have been injured this week in protests in Cairo, 11 of whom have been hospitalized, Sultan said.
On Friday, officers armed with shields and batons, backed by an armored personnel carrier, rushed a group of several hundred protesters shortly after dawn to quell a violent demonstration that had raged through the night in Cairo. After the rush, a smaller number of demonstrators regrouped near the U.S. Embassy across from police lines, and stones and tear-gas canisters once again crossed in the air. Police fired rubber bullets at protesters. The army began constructing a wall of concrete blocks about 10 feet high across the road leading to the embassy.
Hours later, in the afternoon, youths climbed the newly built wall and threw rocks at police, according to eyewitnesses. Security forces fired tear gas and used water cannons to hold off the rioters. But 100 to 200 hundred meters away in Tahrir Square, a few thousand protesters congregated peacefully.
[Updated at 8:42 a.m. ET] The German Embassy in Khartoum, Sudan was on fire Friday after protests against the online anti-Islam video, a journalist on the scene, Isma'il Kamal Kushkush, said. No embassy personnel were believed to be inside.
The UK Foreign Office also says protesters were demonstrating Friday outside its embassy, next to the German Embassy, in Khartoum.
[Updated at 8:35 a.m. ET] U.S. embassies aren't the only Western diplomatic posts facing protests on Friday. Protests have been reported outside the UK and German embassies in Khartoum, Sudan.
UK Foreign Office Spokesperson Mandy Heffield confirmed there is an ongoing demonstration outside the British Embassy in Khartoum. Sudanese police are on the scene, Heffield said.
Earlier, a journalist on the scene said thousands of protesters had marched on the German Embassy in Khartoum, and that a few protesters jumped onto the embassy grounds and pulled down the German flag. Riot police fired tear gas, causing the protesters to pull back, the journalist said.
[Updated at 8:30 a.m. ET] Thousands of protesters marched on the German Embassy in Khartoum, Sudan, on Friday, as protests against a short online film mocking the Prophet Mohammed swept across the Muslim world, a journalist on the scene said.
A few demonstrators were able to jump into the embassy grounds and pull down the German flag, Isma'il Kamal Kushkush said. Riot police fired tear gas, causing the protesters to pull back. The German Embassy is next to the British Embassy, which did not seem to be the focus of the demonstration.
[Updated at 7:40 a.m. ET] Afghanistan saw its first anti-American protest over the film Friday, as hundreds of demonstrators burned a U.S. flag and chanted "Death to America" and "We condemn the film."
The demonstration in Nangarhar province lasted about an hour and ended peacefully, said Zia Abdulzai, a spokesman for the governor of the eastern province.
[Posted 7:31 a.m. ET] Yemeni police opened fire Friday to stop protesters from reaching the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa, witnesses told CNN.
Meanwhile, Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood canceled nationwide demonstrations Friday, except for one in Cairo's Tahrir Square against the controversial film about the Prophet Mohammed, the group said in a Twitter message.
This crisis explains why we should stay out of Syria and let Assad continue his ethnic cleansing campaign. I no longer hate Assad. Assad is a HERO and I hope he stays in power till his old age.
Hope they put a bullet thru his skull....
One Assad in the hand is worth a thousand Muslim Brotherhood snakes in the bush. Sometimes we need to look at the big picture and not just react all knee-jerky.
Just be armed all the time; your life may well depend on it.
Why is anyone surprised by this?
Obama and the current American leaders have openly supported, funded, and provided weapons and logisitcs to Al Qaeda in Libya, Syria, Egypt, and Iran.
The same "terrorists" that Americans are giving up all their rights to be protected from, are the same terrorists that the Government is supporting.
Wait a second, that does not make sense now does it?
And whom do you think is killing the people and burning the embassies right now?
That's right, the same people we put there and are throwing BILLIONS at.
Um... Al Queda was BUILT by the Ronald Reagan. Iraq and Sadam Hussein were suported by... Ronald Reagan. Years later, we are brought into war with both these nations by... oh... Another Republican, G.W. I'm sorry, but Republican Foreign Policy is the one to blame here. Not Obama.
Al Qaeda was built up by Reagan....Obama has been more successful in decimating their leadership with drone strikes and special forces operations more than any other president in history.
Robert; Saddam Hussien was supported by the soviets for many years, before Al Queada even existed! You obviously don't remember the 1980 war that Iraq and Iran fought with chemical weapons spawning 8 million casualtys when your boy Jimmy Carter was in there! ...buy a history book for cryin out loud!
so the followers of "the religion of peace" are so crazed that they're now attacking any embassy where people with blonde hair might work??? Wow, way to refute the "bad" movie message....
So, so you think christians are a religion of peace as well?
@John
What does this have to do with Christians?
_atheist
Really John, da hell does Christianty have to do with his comment? I don't see it mentioned any where. Nice try
@Ken, I think what John is trying to say is that there are violent extremists in almost every world religion, including Christianity.
Has anyone here even seen the Independent (Independent, a UK newspaper) article that says that the Egyptian intelligence community told Obama on Sept 4 that there was going to be an attack and he did nothing? He hasn't attended an intelligence briefing since Spet 5– wonder why?!
Really, you a part of his entourage?
De man,
Yeah, I'm quite sure that you're The Man. Have somebody read the reports to you. Typical Democrat dummy.
p-typical conspiracy theorist nut case.
where did you get that information? Rush? or was a dream after smoking a bong..?
How about thiessen at the washington post? Maybe you should get your grown- up helpers to read it to you? Oh, and btw, feel free to scoot on over to the Independent and check out what they have to say. Don't be scared, now– you can do it. One more thing– the Marines weren't even allowed to have live ammo in their weapons. Could your idiotic pres have screwed this up any more than he did? When do you think he might stop campaigning?
Well what's your solution to this mess, hot shot? I think the prez was probably trying to get all the information together before making a decision. Sept. 4 was only one week prior to these riots. I think it takes time to gather info. Do you want him to make a wrong, hasty decision? Sounds like you do so you can blame him for something else.
Isn't it obvious what should be done? If it takes the president AND his entire staff a week to gather enough facts to determine that it's a good idea to beef up security on the anniversary of 9/11, then maybe he should go back to organizing some communities and let someone with half a brain handle the big decisions. Your hero screwed up, there's no excuse. BTW, do you think the Marines have live ammo this time?
I like P's reply.........yeah, let's just keep waiting until someone tells us what to do? Then we can just blame them?
Can't wait for Netanyahu to vaporize Iran. And while he's at it, he might as well as vaporize the entire continent and do the world a favor.
Withdraw all aid, close embassies. and explain NOT apologize for the blessing of free speech. Just because something's disgusting does not impart the right to kill. When they grow up, stop throwing tantrums and act like adults, maybe we'll try an adult relationship again. We really don't need this childish behavior endangering our people for the sake of every muslim country getting in on the America bashing action.
You are 100% correctl. Because at this point everyone in this great country of ours, the USA, needs to question the agenda of the "Progressive, liberal left." At this point you have to consider an underground movement in this country to destroy it from within with "Politically Correct" politics and legislature. But here is the great irony, hey approve of Islam and Sharia in this country and watch how quickly the Gay Movement runs back in the closest.
Yeah, right Hillary, what a terrible evil 10 minute movie to justify the attackon our Embassies. Within a few more days the outrage in this great country, the USA, people are going to start to absorb that what happened was not due to a film. It was an organized attack staged on 911. NEVER EVER FORGET. Remember the Alamo. Remember Pearl Harbor. Go ahead, America, keep pandering and apologizing, and oh, women of the USA, see how quickly you will be killed for demanding free birth control. LOL. Go Hillary, yeah it is our fault for the "IGNORANCE AND STUPIDITY IN THE MUSLIM RADICAL MIDDLE EASTERN COUNTRIES!!
And like KT commented at 9:32 a.m. "so long as "true Muslims" stand aside and let Radicals and Extremists speak for your religion as a whole nobody is going to believe it." And he is correct. The intelligent, non-radical Muslim community will never gain credibility until we hear them "vehemently denounce" this type of kiddie emotional nonsense.
Why does the media still continue to blame a youtube film for all this, now that we know that this was coordinated to coincide with the anniversary of 9-11?
@guyfromearth ~ totally agree. This was way too coordinated to be anything but planned, organized attacks on 11th of September. How do we even know that this stupid, poorly made film wasn't done by some clever Islamists, (who by the way, could be of any nationality) and blamed on some mystery "Israeli-American", that no one knows??
were american and we dont need this crap....it never changes...
obama with his stupid muslim outreach has been a total farce.
I'm no muslim apologist, but do you think it might have something to do with the fact that US troops have been killin them for over a decade?
@John , Who have American troops been killing for over a decade? Egyptians? Tunisians? Nigerians?
Muslims are RATS, get out of Ameica.
Attacked the German Embassy? Why? Seeing how the Germans put a serious dent in the Jewish population a while back you'd think they would be worshipped by the radicals not attacked by them.
They are equel opportunity rioters.
Just goes to show you how intelligent these guys are.
Its time the western world STOP issuing travel visas to these people to enter our civilized countries and harm civilized westerners. Then we can stay safe and not have to look over our shoulder everytime or worry about who's on some restricted travel list. let's leave them in their backward countries and let us move forward. And those we gave citizenship too don't want to conform to our civilized ways of doing things, let's send them packing.
It's not up to u! u r nobody!
What?! Most of the people that come to the United States on visas, come to study. Most, if not all, the Scientists are foreign born and come to the United States to further develop their research. If you completely shut them off, you're basically saying goodbye to all the ingeunity and creativity that is Apple, Google, NASA and other technological advances that have come to play a huge part in out life.
What a bunch of barbarians. I would expect this kind of behavior from cavemen. They are so insecure about the religion & their own faith that even one negative word of it might lead them away. Their actions are that of someone that does not believe since there must be doubt in their subconscious. To reinforce that belief one has to stomp out all others that do not have the same mindset.
Dr. Ian. False. Not all scientists are foreign born and those who are are not usually from these countries
hahaha DR. Ian yeah because american's started every single company you listed. Check some facts man
I don't know . I am more worried about a group of low life gang bangers in the USA than i would be of muslims here .
Still pushing the lie that this was all about a film, eh CNN?
Why aren't you reporting about the obvious coordination being involved.
Why don't you mention that the Libyans knew where our diplomatic "safe house" was and started hitting it with mortars?
Why don't you comment on the reports that the State Department was warned about these attacks 48 hours before they started yet our Marines guarding the embassies were STILL required to keep their weapons unloaded?
Thank you!!! If you read the comments from various foreign affairs experts you would realize that the film is only being used as propoganda to rally the extreme base of the Muslim religion. Hey CNN, next time try to do just a bit of due dilligence before you start reporting on stories. I think your readers would probably be interested to know that the film in question has been out for over 2 months now!!! You report on it as if it came out days ago. Shameful journalism!!
It wasn't a safehouse, but rather a safe room inside the US embassy. The location of the embassy was not a secret. While the attackers on the US embassy in Libya may have planned this, don't make this out to be some coordinated plan scheduled to occur all over the Middle East and northern Africa. Some may have been planned, but most just took advantage of a bad situation.
Wow....the consipiracy stories never stop.
Sooooo, FactChecker. This is all just a big giant COINCIDENCE?
No Factchecker, it was a farm outside of the Benghazi consulate, and Stevens appeared to be alive, very much so, in the photo of him being dragged away.
Hummmmmm thatsa thought!
If I had to wear those drawers, I would be looking for something to get upset about too.
Memo for Obamabots: Sooooo....how's that "smart power" workin' out for ya?
Better than dumb *cough* Bush*cough* power any way you slice it.
Right 2cents. This is a lot better. Bush was dumb. It's all his fault. Yada yada yada. Hey, numbskull, Bush is gone nearly 4 years. Time for the democrats to step up and take some responsibility (LOL –like that witll ever happen)
At least Bush never said MEA CULPA, we're so SORRY that we hurt the religious feelings of Muslims as you are attacking our embassy in Cairo!
And yes, will there be a time when Obama is president and the Dems remember that? Or is Bush still in office?