News Agencies – September 16, 2012-09-16
French police detained around 100 alleged Salafist Muslims on Saturday, September 15th for taking part in an unauthorized demonstration outside the US embassy in Paris. The crowd was protesting a US-made film that has sparked global unrest. Dozens of men, women and children who police said were possibly linked to Salafists, “demonstrated violently around the US embassy and clashed with police”.
Two or three officers were slightly hurt in the protest. Most of those detained were men, said police. The president of the French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM) denounced the Paris protest. “We regret that this demonstration occurred, especially if violent force was used against the police,” Mohamed Moussaoui told AFP.
The last several days have seen a wave of anti-American protests across the globe, sparked by the US-produced “Innocence of Muslims” film. The film, excerpts of which were posted on the Internet, have offended many Muslims because of its insulting depiction of the Prophet Mohammed.
