Corsica protesters trash Muslim prayer room

Demonstrators ransacked a Muslim prayer hall and set fire to copies of the Koran on the French island of Corsica the 25 December 2015.

This followed a demonstration earlier on the same day in whch 600 people had gathered in front of police headquarters in the Corsican capital Ajaccio in a show of support for the police and firefighters, who had been attacked by a group of hooded youngster the previous day.

On the 27 December 2015 the French authorities banned demonstrations in part of Ajaccio following two days of anti-Arab protests and sectarian tensions. The French government condemned both the anti-Muslim attack and the protests that followed.

• Primary Source

The Local.fr, 26.12.15: Fresh protests follow Corsica Koran burning http://www.thelocal.fr/20151226/fresh-protests-follow-corsica-koran-burning

The Local.fr, 27.12.15: Corsica protests banned after anti-Arab demos http://www.thelocal.fr/20151227/protests-banned-in-corsica-after-anti-arab-demos

The Local.fr, 27.12.15: Hundreds march after protests in Corsica http://www.thelocal.fr/20151227/hundreds-defy-corsica-protest-ban

France24, 27.12.15: Demos banned in Corsica after two days of anti-Arab protests http://www.france24.com/en/20151227-corsica-demos-banned-france-anti-arab-protests-muslim-prayer-hall-clashes-firemen

BBC News, 28.12.15: Corsica attack: Nationalist leader blames 'imported' racism http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-35188634

Deutsche Welle, 27.12.15: Hundreds protest in Corsica despite official ban http://dw.com/p/1HULl

Politico, 28.12.15: National Front blamed for anti-Muslim violence on Corsica http://www.politico.eu/article/corsican-nationalist-blames-le-pen-for-anti-muslim-violence-ajaccio-talamoni/

Politico, 30.12.15: France reasserts authority on violence-hit Corsica http://www.politico.eu/article/france-asserts-authority-over-corsica-after-anti-muslim-violence/

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