KABUL — Afghans set fire to tires in the streets and shouted “Death to America” for a second day Saturday despite a decision by an American pastor to call off plans to burn copies of the Islamic holy book on the ninth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The largest protest drew a crowd estimated at more than 10,000 people. But in a country where most people have limited access to newspapers, television and the Internet, most Afghans were unaware of Florida pastor Terry Jones’ decision to cancel the Koran burning. The Taliban have been distributing pamphlets decrying Jones’ plans, claiming they showed the Americans were in Afghanistan to wage war against Islam.
In Logar province near the capital of Kabul, police fired warning shots to prevent protesters from storming the governor’s residence in the provincial capital of Puli Alam, officials said.
Villagers set fire to tires and briefly blocked the main highway to neighboring Pakistan, said provincial spokesman Din Mohammad Darwish. Witnesses said Taliban agitators were among the crowd. The Associated Press
