A Moroccan artist on Wednesday suspended his exhibit in a French arts festival after his projection of literature verses onto a bridge almost sparked a riot when people trod on them.
Mounir Fatmi said he was putting his work on hold until the exhibit could be shown properly -- without the chance of people walking on the verses -- at the "Printemps de Septembre" art festival in the southwestern city of Toulouse.
The exhibit was only meant to be shown at the weekend, with measures taken to ensure no one could set their feet on the ground as the verses from the book and other images were projected there.
But on Tuesday evening, with no preventative measures in place, the video was projected onto the busy bridge and quickly attracted the attention of locals who gathered to try and stop people walking over the verses.
Tensions rose when the demonstrators called in young people from the city's housing projects to help them, and erected barriers to keep pedestrians away.
One young woman was slapped for putting her foot on a verse.
Police sent in a riot squad but the situation was peacefully resolved -- and the demonstrators dispersed -- after an imam appeared on the scene and called for calm....
http://www.thelocal.fr/page/view/koran- ... -near-riot
