Protest at France's London embassy over Mohammed cartoons

Protest at France's London embassy over Mohammed cartoons

Around a hundred Muslim protesters gathered outside the French embassy in London on Friday, shouting slogans against a French magazine that published cartoons portraying the Prophet Mohammed naked.

The protest came as at least 13 people died on Friday in violent demonstrations in Pakistan condemning a US-made film that also mocked Mohammed. French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo published the cartoons on Wednesday, fuelling earlier protests over the film "Innocence of Muslims" which have raged since September 11, leaving nearly 50 people dead.

Protesters outside France's embassy in London's plush Knightsbridge district shouted "Allahu Akbar" (God is great) and waved placards reading "Sharia for France" and "Muslims will conquer France", an AFP reporter at the scene said.

A police cordon held the demonstrators back from the embassy while around 25 women wearing niqabs, or full face-veils, protested in a separate group nearby.

One protester, who gave her name as Om Abdullah, said she came to the demonstration with her child to "raise her voice".

"The real punishment for those who insult the prophet is death," she told AFP from behind a niqab.

Protester Untuaz Ahmad, 34, said both the film and cartoons had been "very upsetting".

"This is not acceptable. This is not freedom of speech," he said. "We want the French government to take action against the people who have done this."

France has banned protests over the cartoons on the grounds that they would represent a threat to public order.

French missions, schools and cultural centres in 20 countries -- although not in Britain -- closed for the day on Friday over security concerns, while Western missions across the Arab world were on high alert.

Tens of thousands took to the streets after Friday prayers in countries across the Middle East and Asia, as anger over the film showed little sign of abating.