It took just a split second for the mood of the crowd to turn nasty. One minute we were walking ahead of 6,000 anti-American protesters marching peacefully through the North Frontier city of Peshawar. The next we were running from what had suddenly turned into a roaring mob.
Without warning, a small number of protesters at the front of the hyped-up group of Islamic extremists had started to shout and charge forward. The rest of the crowd immediately followed.
An armed policeman told us to run. "Go, go, go," he screamed.
We ran as far as fast as we could towards the steel line of heavily-armed police, with helmets, riot gear and tear gas guns. Behind the safety of the cordon we watched as the charging group, waving sticks, stopped at the police line. A police chief told them they could not proceed. For about three minutes the mood remained ugly and tense. The crowd eventually agreed to disperse.
The protesters started to gather at the Madni Mosque, one of the biggest mosques in Peshawar, at 9 a.m. This rally, one of several planned all over Pakistan yesterday on the first Muslim holy day since the US attacks on Afghanistan, was expected to be violent.
The security forces in the city were taking no chances. On the way to the mosque for the start of the protest, we saw roads had been closed off. An army tank stood waiting. Snipers were standing on top of buildings. Machine guns were placed behind sand bunkers on roofs. The Pakistani security forces were leaving nothing to chance.
Various Islamic factions started to filter through towards the mosque for speeches. They carried posters. One showed a picture of Osama bin Laden with the words: "The Great Mujahid of Islam. Jihad is our mission." Another said: "Musharaff is the brother of Satan. Bush is the big Satan."
Young boys were selling Osama bin Laden T-shirts. No-one seemed to be buying.
One man commented that the police were wearing bullet-proof vests. "That is very unusual. They are definitely expecting something," he said. Rumours spread that some in the crowd were carrying hand grenades. Several police and onlookers approached journalists and warning them to be careful. "You should not be out on the streets . Go home," one said.
The deputy general secretary of the Islamic political party, Jamiat-Ulema-Islami, claimed the police were preventing busloads of supporters from driving into Peshawar to join the rally.
Abdul Jali thundered with rage. "We have hundreds of buses of supporters who are not able to get through. We condemn he police for this action."
He told The Irish Times that from Monday offices of his party would be open all over Pakistan to enrol Muslims to join the Jihad against the United States. The party is also seeking donations of money, and of "blood for soldiers who may get injured in the Holy War."
Twelve-year-old Zabihululah said he would sign up. He explained he liked cricket but would happily sacrifice that for the jihad.
Eighteen-year-old Mushtaq travelled into Peshawar from the Bajuar Agency area outside Peshawar for the rally. He said he would be signing up for the Jihad. "I will also enrol my brothers and sisters".
He explained that in his tribe, both girls and boys are trained in guns from a young age.
There were no refugees from Afghanistan at the protest. On Thursday the Pakistani leadership ordered any who joined a rally to be deported immediately. Yesterday, refugees were not allowed leave camps in and around Peshawar by security forces who circled them.
Speakers outside the mosque repeated what has been said at rallies all over Pakistan since September 11th: "America is a monster. America is a pig."
Gen Musharraff was criticised for supporting the US: "He should resign. Let him resign. He is a traitor."
There were appeals to men to joing the jihad against the US: "Go to Afghanistan and help your people."
Copies of the weekly Islamic newspaper, Zarab-I-Momin, were being sold in the crowd. The lead story claimed the strike on Afghanistan had already been planned and the attack on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon was just an excuse.
At noon the crowd, which had at this stage reached around 6,000, started to march from the mosque towards Sulkarno Square. They were on their way there when they became charged up and tried to rush the police lines.
There was an air of relief that the rally eventually passed off peacefully. But then news began to filter through of serious trouble in Karachi and Quetta.