updated version Around 10,000 protesters gathered in front of the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) this afternoon to urge the United States and Israel to end the violence in the Middle-East.

Led by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang and Youth chief Salahuddin Ayub, the protesters marched from the Kampung Baru mosque after Friday prayers at 2.15pm and reached the convention centre 45 minutes later.

The protesters, armed with placards and banners, were shouting 'Lawan! Lawan!' (fight! fight!) and 'Hancur! Hancur!' (destroy! destroy!).

A large number of police personnel, including those from the Federal Reserve Unit (FRU), guarded the entrance to the convention centre, where Asean ministers together with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice were meeting.

The protesters later braved the rain to march to the United States Embassy in Jalan Ampang.

Meanwhile, the Star reported that Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin, who was leading a separate protest, was evicted by the police after he broke security to hand over a memorandum to Rice.

The protesters broke through barricades, forcing police to form a human cordon to keep them out of the KLCC.

Khairy who led the Umno protest yelled "the Malaysian people are hosting this conference and we will be heard" and called on the US to force a stop to Israel's military campaign in Lebanon, and challenged Rice to meet with him.

"Come down now or I will walk through this door. I have no more patience," he said, according to a AFP report..

Mounted police faced off against the crowd of several hundred protesters who had marched from a city mosque to the convention centre, waving flags and banners that read "Stop Israel. Save Lebanon."

Police said that precautions had been stepped up at the KLCC, which is being guarded by hundreds of police backed by snipers, helicopters and sniffer dogs.

To hand over memo

Upon reaching the US Embassy at about 4.30pm, the group led by Hadi Awang submitted a memorandum which was received by the embassy's chief security officer.

The PAS president then gave a 30-minute speech outside the embassy gates.

As he spoke, the crowd started chanting "Long live Hisbollah", "Down with America", "Israeli troops, go to hell".

Hadi said the protesters were there to submit a memorandum to the US Embassy on behalf of all umat Islam.

"We are against the cruelty inflicted against the people of Palestine and Lebanon," he thundered.

Others who spoke at the event were Sallehuddin, PAS treasurer Dr Hatta Ramli and PKR information bureau chief Tian Chua.

About 300 police personnel including the Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) kept their distance throughout the peaceful protest. There were no untoward incidents.

The police had granted a permit for the gathering today.