Viral photos add fuel to French burkini debate

An angry debate over a ban on burkinis in France was further stoked Wednesday as images of a veiled woman surrounded by the police on a beach in Nice went viral.

The series of photos published by British media showed a woman dressed in leggings, a tunic and headscarf lying on a beach surrounded by four police officers. At one point the woman removes her tunic while a policeman appears to write out a fine.

The photos, whose source is not clear, caused a furore on Twitter, where many interpreted them as the woman being forced to undress by the police.

Nice is one of about 15 French towns which has banned the burkini on beaches, with authorities declaring it to contravene French secular values and threaten public order.