French Police Threatening Legal Action Over Image Of Woman Being Forced To Remove Her Burkini

After the burkini ban on many of France's beaches, an image circulated of a police officer forcing a woman to remove her headscarf on the beach. He's now threatening legal action against those who share it.

French Police Threatening Legal Action Over Image Of Woman Being Forced To Remove Her Burkini

by Marianne Eloise |
Published on

When the news of the Burkini ban on a number of French resorts broke, many people were understandably incredibly upset and considered it a violation of a woman's right to choose. Protests took place, the Internet and media ran wild, and a number of Muslim women spoke out about the ban.

Since then, attempts to enforce the ban have been consistent, with women being landed with on-the-spot fines for wearing their Burkini on the beach. One woman was forced to remove her headscarf while by the sea with her family, her ticket stating that she was not wearing an outfit "respecting good morals and secularism". She was made to take off her clothing on the beach, something that one beach-goer took photographs of and filmed; these images have now circulated the Internet.

Since then, Christian Estrosi, president of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, has threatened legal action against those who share these images online.

'I am denouncing what seems like a manipulation that undermines the local police, and puts the officers at risk,' he said in a statement. 'Already, complaints were filed to prosecute those who spread the photographs of our municipal police officers and those uttering threats against them on social networks,' he added.

This suppression is not dissimilar to American police officers' objections to wearing body cams, and it's a disturbing trend. Luckily, it's recently emerged that common sense and empathy has reigned (due to a worldwide outrage) and the French Burkini bans will be lifted - for now.

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Follow Marianne on Twitter @marianne_eloise

This article originally appeared on The Debrief.

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