Tens of thousands of Muslims marched through the capital of Bangladesh on Friday (October 30th) to voice their anger at cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad and Emmanuel Macron's defence of free speech.

Some burned effigies of the French president and called for a boycott of French goods.

Tens of thousands of Muslims marched in Bangladesh''s capital on Friday to protest the French president''s support of secular laws allowing caricatures of the Prophet, burning effigies of him, and calling for a boycott of French products.In Dhaka, tens of thousands of people from more than a dozen Islamist parties and groups poured into the streets demanding that Bangladesh sever relations with France. Some carried banners reading “Say no to Islamophobia” and “Boycott French products.”The protesters carried effigies of President Emmanuel Macron and then burned them.

While holding banners and placards reading ‘Boycott France’, ‘All Muslims of the world, unite’, ‘Stop Islamophobia’, and ‘Lay siege to the French Embassy in Dhaka’,.Barbed-wire fences were installed near the mosques as hundreds of police in riot gear cordoned off the processions.The protesters were also seen carrying a large cut-out of Macron’s photo with shoes around its neck. While demanding an unconditional apology, they also set alight an effigy of Macron.

Muslim-majority countries across the world have been outraged by Macron's refusal last week to condemn the publication or display of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad.In Islam, any depiction of the prophet is prohibited.The issue has come to light again in recent days following the gruesome beheading near Paris of a French teacher who showed caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad in class.