Hundreds of people protested in Ethiopia against statements by French President Emmanuel Macron about caricatures of the prophet Mohammed. People demonstrated in the capital Addis Ababa on Friday with posters like “We detest those who try to ridicule our religion,” observers reported. In Ethiopia, which is predominantly Christian, around a third of the population is Muslim.

After the beheading of a teacher in France, Macron defended freedom of expression and the publication of caricatures critical of religion. The teacher had shown caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad in class as an example of freedom of expression. Macron’s remarks sparked protests from Muslims around the world.

The people of Ethiopia also protested against US President Donald Trump. The latter had recently said that in the dispute over the Renaissance dam in Ethiopia, Egypt could be forced to “blow up the dam”. This caused outrage in Ethiopia, where the dam that is currently being built is creating national pride.