LAHORE, Feb 18: Protests against the 'possible release' of US national Raymond Davis and 'apathy of the rulers' towards the issue continued here on Friday.

The Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf staged a rally from Mozang Chowk, the spot where Faizan and Fahim had been gunned down by Davis, up to the US Consulate on Egerton Road.

The Jamaatud Dawa demonstrated at Chauburji while the Jamaat-i-Islami organised a rally outside the Manawan Police Training Centre.

Led by Ijaz Chaudhry and Ahsan Rashid, participants in the PTI rally raised slogans against America and Senator John Kerry and demanded hanging of Davis.

The police barricaded the road to the consulate and disallowed the protesters to get close to the building. The demonstrators burnt a US flag and effigies of Kerry and Davis.

PTI leaders chided the rulers for not showing 'courage' before the US officials and rather pleading a case of paying blood money to heirs of the youths killed by US citizens.

They also held the government responsible for the suicide of Shumaila, the wife of Fahim.

They said the party with the help of the masses was ready to pay the bereaved families more than what the Americans could pay as compensation and pledged that no compromise would be made in the Davis case.

Jamaatud Dawa activists came out of the Al-Qudsia Mosque after Friday prayers and held a protest demonstration at Chauburji.

A charged crowd shouted anti-America slogans and demanded an open trial of Davis on terrorism and espionage charges.

Carrying placards and banners inscribed with writings against offering blood money to the families of victims, they termed it rubbing salt into the wounds of bereaved families.

They warned the government against giving any “illegal” immunity to the Consulate employee and bid to send him back to his home country without facing a fair trial.

The Jamaat-i-Islami demonstrated on GT Road just opposite the Manawan Police Training Centre. The participants led by Amirul Azeem and Hafiz Salman Butt were carrying party flags, placards and banners inscribed with slogans against the US, demanding hanging of Davis.

They termed the US a 'real terrorist' of the world committing heinous crimes against the humanity.

They lauded the unity among the people that forced Washington to stop giving dictations to Islamabad.

The protesters vowed to continue the struggle until the US admitted all the crimes committed by it.

They criticised the rulers for taking a weak stand on the Davis issue as now even the US media was reporting that Davis was not a diplomat and did not deserve immunity. The JI leaders demanded inclusion of terrorism related clauses in the FIR against Davis.

Meanwhile, a large number of students on Friday staged a sit-in in front of the American Consulate, burnt tyres and chanted slogans against the US administration.

The protesters also scuffled with the guards as they tried to enter the American Consulate.

Punjab University's Islami Jamiat Tulaba Nazim Zubair Safdar said the government was not actively pursuing the Davis case and was ready to bow before the US government.