Since the images of armed police forcing a woman to remove her burkini on a beach in the south of France emerged, the world has reacted in shock.
The photos show at least four officers standing over a woman who was resting on the sand. After they arrive, she removes a long-sleeved tunic and one of the officers appears to issue an on-the-spot fine.
The move comes as part of a controversial ban on the full body swimsuit, claiming that it would help to liberate women from oppressive religious dress codes and help integration, Indy100 reports.
The decree states that those caught wearing the burkini could be a threat to public order and will be cautioned and fined €38 (£33).
French prime minister Manuel Valls said the swimsuit worn by some Muslim women was not compatible with French values and is based on the ‘enslavement of women’.
But the public seem to disagree.
But perhaps the best tweet was a common comparison made with a photo of a police officer measuring the length of a woman’s swimsuit in 1925:
The black and white photo shows a West Palm Beach police officer measuring the bathing suit of Betty Fringle on Palm Beach, to ensure that it conformed with regulations introduced by beach censors.
Back then it was about telling women to put clothes on, now it’s about telling women to take them off.
And people are using the comparison to demonstrate that women have always been policed on what they wear:
It’s disappointing to see that 91 years later, women are still being told what to (or what not to) wear.
