14 July 2011

Fears for riots in national burqa protest

Almost 14,000 people have signed up for Monday's "Ban the Burqa Day", which urges protesters to wear a balaclava or mask. But Islamic leaders labelled the event racist.

Organiser Kye Keating, 20, instigated the protest with two friends via Facebook after Sydney woman Carnita Matthews used her burqa to quash a jail sentence for deliberately making a false statement to police. "This event is not aimed at race, it is not aimed at religion," Mr Keating said. [Herald Sun] Read more