France was swept up Thursday in the wave of anger washing over the Muslim world as protesters in Afghanistan and Iran denounced a magazine's publication of obscene cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.
Chanting "Death to France! Death to America!", hundreds demonstrated in the Afghan capital Kabul against the cartoons and a US-made anti-Islam film that has sparked widespread outrage.
In Tehran, up to 100 people protested in front of France's embassy, chanting "Death to France!" as dozens of police deployed around the compound prevented the crowd from approaching.
France has been bracing for a backlash following Wednesday's publication of the cartoons -- two of which show the founder of Islam naked -- by satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo.
In anticipation of potential protests on Friday, the Muslim day of prayer, Paris said it would shutter its diplomatic missions, cultural centres and French schools in around 20 Muslim countries.
More than 30 people have been killed in attacks and violent protests linked to the film "Innocence of Muslims", including 12 people who died in an attack by a female suicide bomber in Afghanistan and four Americans, among them the US ambassador, killed at the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya.
Afghan demonstrators block a road during a protest against an anti-Islam movie in Kabul on September 20. » | AFP | Thursday, September 20, 2012
