Republished August 19, 2016 - 10:23 AM
Original Publication Date August 19, 2016 - 8:15 AM
PARIS - The city of Nice, still shaken by last month's deadly extremist attack, has joined a growing number of French resort towns to ban the body-covering burkini swimsuit.
Political leaders argue that the swimwear, resembling a full-body wetsuit with a hood, oppresses women and violates France's secular principles. But many see the bans as discriminatory.
Nice was devastated when a man drove a truck into crowds watching fireworks on July 14, killing 86 people in violence claimed by the Islamic State group. The death of the 86th victim, a man hospitalized with injuries, was announced on Friday, more than a month after the attack.
About a third of the victims were from Nice's large Muslim community, which is both in mourning and fearing a backlash.
The Nice administration issued an order Thursday banning swimwear with religious connotations, citing security concerns.
Several other cities on France's Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts have banned burkinis this summer.
News from © The Associated Press, 2016