KARACHI - Police on Monday resorted to aerial firing and used teargas shells to stop Islami Jamiat Talaba workers and students from marching to the US Consulate in South Zone’s Red Area in protest against a profane American movie that had incited widespread denunciation in all Muslim countries. Witnesses said that when hundreds of IJT workers started rallying towards the consulate, outside which they wanted to record their protest, law enforcers used force to placate them following a brief warning. In retaliation of heavy aerial firing and teargas shelling, the demonstrators pelted police officials with stones. Tyres were also set afire by the demonstrators in Sultanabad Square by the demonstrators, who were chanting anti-US slogans. Many protesting workers, however, managed to reach close to the consulate building on Mai Kolachi Road. It may be mentioned here that all major and minor roads lying within a certain radius of the consulate had already been closed for traffic ahead of the IJT protest. According to witnesses, the student union activists had gathered at the Government Commerce College prior to the protest rally. Nevertheless, intense firing and tear gas shelling broke up the protest, with arrests of around 80 demonstrators, who were shifted to different police stations of the downtown.When contacted, IJT Karachi Nazim Waqas Azmi said that police used force to placate their peaceful rally. “Police atrocities left more than a dozen students wounded. According to him, the police detained more than 114 protesting students.He said that at least 60 workers of the IJT were detained in the Civil Lines Police Station, 54 in the Atlary Maidan Police Station. The IJT would be forced to chalk out its future strategy if the detained workers were not released, added Azmi.The Sind government meanwhile made security stringent at the US Consulate, 5-star hotels and other important places in the wake of protest rallies against the anti-Islam film.Firing incidents were also reported in other parts of city, including Clifton, Moosa Lane Lyari, Bheempura and Abul Hasan Esphani Road. A man was killed in firing in Moosa Lane and another in Clifton area. Another man was injured in Bheempura area.In the backdrop of protest rallies, Traffic Police have closed Mai Kolachi Road up to Jinnah Bridge slowing down the heavy traffic flow of the office goers on II Chundrigar Road on Monday morning.