The burkini ban in France, prohibiting full-bodied swimwear, has again come under fire after photos emerged this week of police armed with pepper spray and batons standing over a woman and ordering her to take off her traditional headscarf and matching top.
She received a ticket which read that she was not wearing “an outfit respecting good morals and secularism”.
The burkini ban was instated in July of this year after the Nice terror attack. It follows on from the country banning the burqa altogether in 2011.
A witness to the horrific incident recalled the scene to The Guardian, saying: “The saddest thing was that people were shouting ‘go home,’ some were applauding the police. Her daughter was crying.”
One commentator said, “Regardless of politics or culture, if you’re ok with a police officer telling a woman to remove clothing, something’s wrong.” Another said, “Opposing an enforced dress code for women by enforcing another dress code for women doesn’t really make sense to me, France.”
Perhaps the most telling tweet of all was one by Allyson Marie. Succinct and to-the-point it highlighted the double-standards present in the current ruling:
So just to recap: It’s the year 2016 and women are still being told what they can and can’t wear in public.
