Thousands of women demonstrated in Paris Saturday amid deep division over the wearing of the Islamic veil.
The procession included both a heavily guarded group of veiled women and members of a group called "Ni Putes Ni Soumises" - Neither Whores nor Slaves - that opposes the violence and stigmatisation suffered by some women of North African origin, and which is strongly opposed to imposition of the veil.
The demonstration, which marked International Women's Day on Monday, also included a delegation from the National Collective for the Rights of Women, and several prominent politicians representing much of the political spectrum. They included former culture minister Jack Lang, who said the oppression of women in some of the tough, predominantly North African suburbs ought to be subject of concern for everyone.
Police said about 7,000 people took part in the march, which set off from the Place de La Republique and wended across the city to the Place de la Nation.
Author Fadela Amara, the president of Ni Putes Ni Soumises, said she was happy to have the support both of women in the government, such as Nicole Guedj, a state secretary in the Justice Ministry, and the leader of the radical leftist group Workers' Struggle, Arlette Laguiller.
The National Collective for the Rights of Women, while supporting the broad aims of Ni Putes Ni Soumises, has warned against becoming side-tracked from the main subject of concern, which it identifies as the government's destruction of social protection.
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