The protest was part of an Iranian-born designer’s fashion show.
Models clad in burqas and niqabs stormed the runway at Copenhagen Fashion Week to campaign against Denmark’s recent ban on Islamic face veils.
The protest was part of Iranian-born designer Reza Etamadi’s show for his MUF10 brand, which he dedicated to supporting women’s rights to wear what they wish.
“I have a duty to support all women’s freedom of speech and freedom of thought,” the Danish designer said, adding the new law is a violation of the “free choice we in western countries are known for and proud to have.”
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The show bears a similarity to rallies in Denmark last week. Over 1,000 Muslim and non-Muslim Danes descended on the streets of the capital, Copenhagen and Denmark’s second-biggest city, Aarhus.
The rally, which lasted for three hours, saw women chant “no racists in our streets” and “my life, my choice”.
Etamadi’s show also included models dressed as police to represent law enforcement. At one point, a female police offer hugged a woman in a niqab, recreating a similar scene that was photographed during the protests.
The Scandinavian nation first considered the ‘burqa ban’ in February, where burqas and niqabs are banned in public place. The ruling was passed in May and came into effect this month.
Women who don’t follow the ruling to remove their veils will be fined 1,000 kroner (Dhs573). A 28-year-old Muslim women became the first woman to be fined this week.
This move follows in the footsteps of fellow European countries France, Netherlands, Bulgaria and Bavaria.
France became the first European country to ban the full-face veil in public places back in 2011. Meanwhile, Netherlands introduced a ban on face-covering veils in schools, hospitals and public transport in June.
Main image: Getty
