60 policemen sent to one-man protest over prophet cartoon
ISTANBUL
Omar Djelli, an association leader, holds his passport on September 22, 2012 in Marseille, southern France, as he protests alone against the French magazine. AFP Photo
A man in France has staged a one-person
protest against a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad recently printed in a French
magazine, after he was not given permission for a mass meeting, daily Radikal
reported today.
The man,
Omar Djelli, who was described
as a representative of a non-governmental organization, staged his protest in
Marseille, watched by around 30 journalists.
The man made headlines in France after
60 police officers and a helicopter were dispatched to the scene for only one
person. The French police has recently stepped up its security measures
following the publication of the caricatures.
The demonstrator criticized the French
interior minister and attached labels to walls, saying “ no permission is
needed to defend the rights of Muslims in France.”
Djelli reportedly showed his
passport to the watching media, saying he was willing to risk being
detained for the right to protest. However, the police did not
take him into custody, reports said.
