Tehran, YJC. Students gathered in huge numbers in front of the French Embassy in Tehran to show their outrage at the release of Charlie Hebdo cartoon depicting prophet.
Pouring to the street on Monday, the demonstrators chanted slogans against
the Charlie Hebdo and demanded that the French ambassador be expelled from
Iran.
The protesters also asked Iranian diplomats at the Foreign Ministry to show
a swift reaction to the sacrilegious move.
The protests which began with a demonstration outside the French embassy
building in Neauphle-le-Château street, gradually developed into a march after
thousands more joined the crowd.
The Iranian parliament, Majlis, minority representatives also attended the
rally. Other political activists, as well as some government officials were
also present in the demo.
Iran officially condemned the killing of 12 people in a January 7 attack on
the Charlie Hebdo office in Paris. However, feelings are running high in Iran
against the release of cartoons by the weekly last Wednesday which clearly
insulted prophet Mohammad.
Protests in other Muslim states have mostly turned violent, with many
protesters calling for immediate expulsion of France’s diplomatic staff from
their countries. The protesters also want the French government to abandon its
policy of defending such sacrilegious moves under the pretest of defending the
freedom of expression.