Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

File photo of a woman in a burkini. Shutterstock/Mila Supinskaya Glashchenko

Mayor of town on French island bans burkinis after beach brawl

Around 100 police were deployed to break up the fight between locals and families of North African origin.

A MAYOR ON the French island of Corsica today became the third nationwide to announce a ban on burkinis, following weekend clashes allegedly sparked by a row over the full-body Islamic swimsuit.

The announcement by the mayor of the village of Sisco follows similar prohibitions in the Riviera towns of Cannes and Villeneuve-Loubet, which have also controversially banned the garment from their beaches in recent weeks.

Sisco’s Socialist mayor Ange-Pierre Vivoni said he aimed to “protect the population” after clashes Saturday in a cove outside his village in the north of the Mediterranean island that left five people injured.

Around 100 police were deployed to break up the fight between locals and families of North African origin that reportedly began over tourists taking pictures of women swimming in burkinis.

Three cars were set alight after the rivals, some of whom were armed with hatchets, hurled stones and bottles. Five people were hospitalised.

Vivoni told AFP in a telephone interview his decision to ban the burkini was “not against the Muslim religion but to avoid the spread of fundamentalism.”

I am absolutely not racist. I want to protect the population, notably my area’s Muslim population because I think that they are the main victims of these extremist provocations.

The move comes at a highly sensitive time for relations with France’s Muslim community following a series of jihadist attacks, mostly by young French acolytes of the Islamic State group.

Prosecutors in nearby Bastia said an inquiry had been opened to determine the cause of the weekend violence.

Vivoni said tensions over religion had been building in northern Corsica for a while.

There were tense scenes yesterday as around 500 nationalists gathered in the northeastern town of Bastia, seeking to enter the Lupino district which is home to a large North African community.

The police blocked them from entering.

© AFP, 2016

Read: The mayor of Cannes has banned the wearing of “burkinis”

Read: Fine Gael councillor Burqa ban comments ‘not Fine Gael policy’

Author
View 273 comments
Close
273 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute David cotter
    Favourite David cotter
    Report
    Apr 12th 2020, 2:01 PM

    Bernie…Bernie come back ..we’re sorry don’t leave us with this muppit….

    103
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute SFAnkleTapper
    Favourite SFAnkleTapper
    Report
    Apr 12th 2020, 2:10 PM

    @David cotter: if it was Bernie v Trump…then Trump would definitely win…. he’ll probably win anyway but Bernie would make it a certainty.

    50
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Corporate capitalism is killing us
    Favourite Corporate capitalism is killing us
    Report
    Apr 12th 2020, 2:17 PM

    @SFAnkleTapper: Trump would disagree with you. He’s on tape as saying Sanders would have beat him in 2016 and a lot of Trump voters would have voted for Sanders also.

    51
    See 9 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Benedict XVI
    Favourite Benedict XVI
    Report
    Apr 12th 2020, 2:23 PM

    @SFAnkleTapper: What on earth are you talking about? Every single recent poll has Bernie Sanders and Biden both beating Trump in a general election. Not even Fox News has Trump winning.

    https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/president-general/

    20
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute SFAnkleTapper
    Favourite SFAnkleTapper
    Report
    Apr 12th 2020, 2:52 PM

    @Benedict XVI: would they be the same polls that had Hillary as a shoe in? Btw I’m no Trump supporter.

    34
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute SFAnkleTapper
    Favourite SFAnkleTapper
    Report
    Apr 12th 2020, 2:54 PM

    @Corporate capitalism is killing us: your actually using Trump as a basis for a credible story….

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Macus Mc Mahon
    Favourite Macus Mc Mahon
    Report
    Apr 12th 2020, 3:00 PM

    @SFAnkleTapper: Biden is a bumbling clown who needs to retire, check his gaffes on YouTube. Bernie would be far stronger them sleepy Joe.

    19
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute David A. Murray
    Favourite David A. Murray
    Report
    Apr 12th 2020, 3:01 PM

    @SFAnkleTapper: Biden’s greatest strength is that it is Trump he is going to be running against. Trump makes Biden’s weaknesses less blatant and Biden is a clear contrast to the type of president Trump is. If it was Biden competing against any other candidate, then I wouldn’t bet on Biden. But with Trump anything is possible (both for Trump and against Trump).

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Morning Gus
    Favourite Morning Gus
    Report
    Apr 12th 2020, 4:14 PM

    @Benedict XVI: Don’t believe those polls and don’t be taking it too serious. You are most likely going to be disappointed when the results come in.

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Tom Doyle
    Favourite Tom Doyle
    Report
    Apr 12th 2020, 5:00 PM

    @SFAnkleTapper: Even though it hurts me to say this,i agree with you in saying that Biden has a much better chance than Bernie.Where I won’t agree with you is dissing the polls that Benedict put up,Trump is not up against Hillary this time.Also,he’ll struggle in the Rust Belt..

    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
    Favourite Dave O'Keeffe
    Report
    Apr 12th 2020, 6:47 PM

    @Corporate capitalism is killing us: brilliant, Trump saying that was to try to further divide a very fractured democrat party not an actual acknowledgement that he could have lost.

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute david lydon
    Favourite david lydon
    Report
    Apr 13th 2020, 7:09 AM

    @David cotter: Bernie is from Ireland? Or do you watch the West wing too much

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Patrick Paul
    Favourite Patrick Paul
    Report
    Apr 12th 2020, 3:15 PM

    I thought Democrats where bad when they selected Hillary Clinton as there presidential candidate 4 years but they’ve really outdone themselves this time round

    48
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute David Shiels
    Favourite David Shiels
    Report
    Apr 12th 2020, 2:05 PM

    America always gets the politicians it deserves.

    44
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kevin O' Brien
    Favourite Kevin O' Brien
    Report
    Apr 12th 2020, 2:17 PM

    @David Shiels: This is a recurring theme for you, am I right? For the record, I like Joe Biden. I would have preferred Bernie.

    20
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ale Ceaser
    Favourite Ale Ceaser
    Report
    Apr 12th 2020, 2:17 PM

    @David Shiels: Like us? Haughy, Cowan, Ahern, Adams etc.

    30
    See 2 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Macus Mc Mahon
    Favourite Macus Mc Mahon
    Report
    Apr 12th 2020, 3:06 PM

    @Kevin O’ Brienhttps://youtu.be/-rUvUxynOgk

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kevin O' Brien
    Favourite Kevin O' Brien
    Report
    Apr 12th 2020, 5:46 PM

    @Macus Mc Mahon: ok

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Macus Mc Mahon
    Favourite Macus Mc Mahon
    Report
    Apr 12th 2020, 3:09 PM
    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kath Noonan
    Favourite Kath Noonan
    Report
    Apr 12th 2020, 6:06 PM

    Sanders making a habit of giving up. His voters must be p*ssed off at this.

    10
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Gerald OBrien
    Favourite Gerald OBrien
    Report
    Apr 12th 2020, 11:14 PM

    The only way Biden will win is if he has a decent vice president nomination or if the trump brigade give up on their chosen one. Biden has completely lost the left and continues to put his foot in it further.

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mark Reid
    Favourite Mark Reid
    Report
    Apr 13th 2020, 1:22 AM

    @Gerald OBrien the left have lost themselves

    1
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds