Cartoon row: Pakistani's chant 'death to EU'

As many as 200 people chanted "Death to the European Union," as they protested against the cartoons of Prophet Muhammad in Pakistan.

As many as 200 people chanted "Death to the European Union," as they protested against the cartoons of Prophet Muhammad in eastern Pakistan on Thursday.

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The protesters were vastly outnumbered by the police in riot gear, who controlled the crowd that gathered at a major intersection in Multan. The one-hour event was organized by the Pakistan People's Party, belonging to former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

The crowd also chanted "Death to Denmark" because the drawings were first published by a Danish paper before being reprinted by other Western media, mostly in Europe.

One of the cartoons showed Mohammad as wearing a bomb-shaped turban with a burning fuse. Some of the protesters also yelled, "Musharraf is a dog," a reference to Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf.

Many of the protests held nationwide in recent weeks have increasingly become anti-government, though officials have repeatedly condemned the cartoons. In fact, a radical Islamic coalition, which demands Musharraf's resignation, has planned countrywide protests for Friday.