British Muslims protest in London against Charlie Hebdo cartoons

At least 1,000 British Muslims protested in central London on Sunday against what they called “insulting depictions” of the Prophet Mohammad by French newspaper Charlie Hebdo. The crowds gathered near Prime Minister David Cameron’s office in London’s Whitehall government district carrying placards with slogans such as “Stand Up For the Prophet.”

[The Charlie Hebdo shootings are] a stark reminder that freedom of speech is regularly utilised to insult personalities that others consider sacred.

A petition by Muslim organisers of the protest

The event comes weeks after 17 people were killed in three days of violence in France that began when two Islamist gunmen burst into Charlie Hebdo’s Paris offices, opening fire in revenge for its publication of satirical images of the prophet Mohammad. Sunday’s protest organisers condemned the Paris attacks, but said the magazine should not publish cartoons of the prophet. Imams delivered speeches and the crowds paused to pray before handing in an online petition to Cameron’s office signed by over 100,000 Muslims.

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