Protesters burn French flag outside Bamako Grand Mosque

Hundreds of Malians protested in the Grand Mosque in Bamako on Wednesday against the French president's support of secular laws that deem caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad as protected under freedom of speech.

A small group set fire in a French flag outside the mosque while others carried signs reading "Macron the devil" and "Don't touch my religion".

The protesters demanded an apology from the French president and a "ban on images of the Prophet Muhammad in all forms."

Muslim-majority countries across the world have been outraged by Macron’s refusal last week to condemn the publication or display of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad.

In Islam, any depiction of the prophet is prohibited.

The issue has come to light again in recent days following the gruesome beheading near Paris of a French teacher who showed caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad in class. The 18-year-old Chechen refugee who carried out the attack was later shot dead by police.

The teacher, Samuel Paty, has been heralded as a symbol of France’s staunch secular ideals and its rejection of religious intrusion in public spheres.

Macron and members of his government have vowed to continue supporting such caricatures as protected under freedom of expression.