France bans protest over anti-Islam movie

PARIS - France on Thursday banned a demonstration to protest against the publication of the US movie mocking the Prophet Mohammed that had triggered outrage across the Muslim world, local media reported.

According to news channel BFMTV, Paris police banned a planned protest outside Paris Mosque on Saturday as a precautionary measure after calls circulated on social networks to protest over the movie.

Last Sunday police arrested about a hundred of participants in a demonstration near the US Embassy in Paris.

On Wednesday, Paris said it would temporarily close its embassies and schools in 20 countries on Friday after a French magazine published cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad.

About 5 million Muslims are living in France, the largest in Europe.