Supporters and opponents of a ban in Denmark on garments covering the face, including Islamic veils such as the niqab or burqa, are clashing verbally as the law takes effect.
Marcus Knuth of the ruling liberal party Venstre, said the dress worn by some conservative Muslim women was “strongly oppressive”.
Sasha Andersen of the “Party Rebels” activist group, was planning a demonstration later in the day against what it called a “discriminatory” measure against a minority group.
Other European countries have similar bans, claiming they are not aimed at any religion in particular, and do not ban headscarves, turbans or the traditional Jewish skull cap.
Popularly known as the “burqa ban”, it is mostly seen as being directed at the niqab and burqa. Few Muslim women in Denmark wear such full-face veils.