Hundreds defy protest ban after Muslim prayer hall attack

Several hundred people have marched in Corsica, defying a ban on protests introduced after a Muslim prayer hall was vandalised on the French island. They avoided going to the poor neighbourhood of Ajaccio where Friday's attack happened, instead rallying in other areas of the regional capital. The prayer hall was raided by crowds in apparent retaliation for an attack on firefighters a day earlier. Previous marches had seen participants shout: "Arabs get out!" Some protesters blamed local Arab residents for the attack on the firefighters. The French government condemned both the protests that followed and the anti-Muslim attack. Image copyright AFP Image caption Attackers smashed windows and ransacked the Muslim prayer room in Ajaccio On Sunday, the demonstrators marched through several neighbourhoods in Ajaccio, but did not go to the Jardins de l'Empereur area - the scene of Friday's attack. The authorities earlier announced a ban on all gatherings in the flashpoint area until at least 4 January. The protesters rejected accusations that their rally was racist, chanting: "We fight against scum, not against Arabs!" and "We aren't thugs, we aren't racists!" Police were deployed around the Jardins de l'Empereur, home to many immigrants, to prevent any clashes.

Muslim prayer hall attacked in Corsica

A crowd has vandalised a Muslim prayer hall in Corsica in apparent retaliation for an attack on firefighters in the French Mediterranean island. Officials say a small group of protesters also tried to burn copies of the Koran in the capital, Ajaccio. Overall, several hundred people gathered in the city to express support for two firefighters and a police officer injured on Thursday. The government condemned both acts, pledging to punish the perpetrators.