France reinforces security around US Embassy
Kuwaitis protest against a film deemed offensive to Islam near the US Embassy in Kuwait City on Sept. 13, 2012. Protests have erupted since Sept. 11 outside US diplomatic missions in several Arab and Muslim states by demonstrators who deem the low-budget movie ‘Innocence of Muslims,’ made in the United States, offensive to Islam.
Police are reinforcing security around the US Embassy in Paris, one day after almost 150 people outside the building were detained for participating in an unauthorized protest against a US-made anti-Islam film that has spurred turmoil across the Muslim world.
France has placed more uniformed and plains clothes policemen around the embassy, the Associated Press reported.
According to France 24, the protests Saturday afternoon, were violent and impromptu. Dozens of men, women and children, who were possibly linked to Salafists, were detained. One person was arrested for roughing up a police officer.
Mohamed Moussaoui, president of the French Council of the Muslim Faith, said that he regretted that the demonstration occurred.
"One should not associate all of France's Muslims with marginal events like this," he said to AFP. "Muslims should use fair and lawful means to defend their religion. This message was relayed by imams at mosques during Friday prayers," he said.
France is home to Europe's largest Muslim community.
Protests against the film, which is titled The Innocence of Muslims, began on Tuesday. Embassies in Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt were stormed, sparking further protests at US Embassies across the region.
Read GlobalPost's complete coverage of the embassy protests here.
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