60 policemen sent to one-man protest over prophet cartoon

ISTANBUL

Omar Djelli, an association leader, holds his passport on September 22, 2012 in Marseille, southern France, as he protests alone against the French magazine. AFP Photo

A man in France has staged a one-person protest against a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad recently printed in a French magazine, after he was not given permission for a mass meeting, daily Radikal reported today.  

The man, Omar Djelli, who was described as a representative of a non-governmental organization, staged his protest in Marseille, watched by around 30 journalists.  

The man made headlines in France after 60 police officers and a helicopter were dispatched to the scene for only one person. The French police has recently stepped up its security measures following the publication of the caricatures.  

The demonstrator criticized the French interior minister and attached labels to walls, saying “ no permission is needed to defend the rights of Muslims in France.”

Djelli reportedly showed his passport  to the watching media, saying he was willing to risk being detained for the right to protest. However, the police did not take him into custody, reports said.