At least three people are killed and churches set on fire in Niger
during fresh protests against the French magazine Charlie Hebdo's
Prophet Muhammad cartoon.
Protests began outside Niamey's grand mosque and reportedly spread to
other parts of the country, a day after five were killed in Niger's
second city. See more photos after the cut...
Niger's president condemned the violence and appealed for calm.
Last week, Islamist gunmen killed 12 people at Charlie Hebdo's offices.
The cover of the magazine's latest edition, published after
the attack, featured a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad weeping while
holding a sign saying "I am Charlie".
Seven million copies of the edition are being printed in view
of extraordinary demand, distributors announced on Saturday. The
magazine's print run before the attack was 60,000.
Many Muslims see any depiction of Islam's prophet as offensive.
In Niger, a former French colony, hundreds of demonstrators
gathered at Niamey's grand mosque, shouting "God is Great" in Arabic.
At least six churches were set on fire or looted in Niamey
and regional towns. Bars, hotels and businesses under non-Muslim
ownership were also targeted.
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