Muslim women in France are disobeying the rules at a local swimming pool by wearing burkinis. In a protest inspired by US civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks, they bathed in suits covering their entire bodies – apart from the face, hands and feet – in the city of Grenoble on Sunday.
The campaign in the southeastern city of Grenoble was promoted on Facebook by the Citizen Alliance, which said the protesters wanted the venue to “respect their freedom” by allowing them to wear the swimsuit.
In a Facebook post, the Citizen Alliance said the move was part of a campaign that began in May 2018 with a petition signed by more than 600 Muslim women urging the Genoble Mayor Éric Piolle to reform the rules governing public swimming pools.
After changing into burkinis, the Muslim members of the group were told by lifeguards that their swimsuits were not allowed.
Despite this, they entered the pool and bathed for about an hour with members of the community, many of whom cheered and applauded them for doing so.
The women were later questioned by police and each fined €35 ($40; £30) for breaching the rules, news outlet France Bleu reported (in French).
Responding to events on Sunday, a member of France’s centre-right party The Republicans, Matthieu Chamussy: “Political Islam is moving forward step by step and the cause of women receding.”
The Jean Bron swimming pool is among many in France that ban burkinis.
Many people in the country regard the swimsuit as a symbol of political Islam and incompatible with secularism.
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The restriction is a controversial issue in France, which – along with some other European countries – does not allow women to wear the burka.
Proponents of the nationwide ban on the full-face veil have cited security concerns, while others have said it prevents those who wear it from integrating into society.
Burkinis, a mix of the words “burka” and “bikini”, are marketed to Muslim women as a way for them to swim in public while adhering to modesty edicts.
In 2010, France became the first European country to ban the full-face veil in public.
