Bhopal saw massive protest against French President Emmanuel Macron for his defence of blasphemous cartoons and highly objectionable and arrogant statements against Islam and Muslims. On Thursday, thousands of people marched through the streets showing their strong rejection of Macron’s stance.
Similar protests were held in Mumbai, Bhiwandi, Hyderabad and at Aligarh Muslim University.
The Bhopal protest was led by Congress MLA Arif Masood. As many as 2,000 people, including Masood and some clerics, were charged under section 188 (disobedience of an order promulgated by a public servant) or not wearing masks or maintaining social distancing during the protests.
The Congress MLA was instrumental in organising protests to oppose mob lynching linked to cow vigilantism, law to criminalise triple talaq and the demonstrations against CAA-NCR in the city. During the protests over CAA-NRC earlier this year.
Students at AMU shouted slogans against Macron while holding banners and called for a boycott of French products. The protesters also burnt posters of the French President.
In Hyderabad, anti-France protests were held at Nampally. According to reports, the Tahreek-E-Islami Hyderabad, a Sunni Muslim organisation, staged a protest on Friday morning at Nampally. Protesters chanted “Boycott French products” and called for President Macron to be punished for his comments on Islam.
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Rushda Fathima Khan is the Staff Reporter for The Cognate.
