Two public pools in France's Grenoble shut down after protestors swim wearing burkinis

Two municipal-run swimming pools have been shut down in the French city of Grenoble despite the current heatwave. 

The move came as a result of an ongoing row over the use of full-body 'burkini' swimsuit, the local mayor said on Wednesday. As per reports, the town hall in its statement said that the lifeguards requested for a shutdown citing safety concerns and that it was working towards a positive solution:

 "They are there to maintain safety and they can't do that when they have to worry about the crowds. We are working towards a positive solution to the problem." the statement read.

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The latest row over the face and body covering garments worn by Muslim women is considered by many as a dominating tool to control women in a country with stringent laws on secularism. France is a country with Europe's largest Muslim population. In addition, France was also the first European country to ban the full veil in public spaces in 2011. The European Court of Human Rights upheld the ban in 2014, slamming arguments that outlawing of full-face veils was an obstruction to religious freedom. Earlier this year French sports retailer Decathlon was forced to omit its plans to sell a runner's Hijab in France after it came under heavy criticism.

Far-right politicians expressed their support to ban to the burkini on Monday in the aftermath of the events that unfolded in Grenoble. Seven burkini-clad women, accompanied by activists, headed to the Grenoble pools on Sunday demanding the right to bathe despite the facility's rules. The protesting women asserted that the ban was brought in to incite discrimination against them. Reports further added that the women wanted the authorities at public pools to make changes in the rules and regulations, and accommodate the burkini-clad swimmers.

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Local member of parliament Eric Ciotti, of the rightwing Republicans party took to Twitter and expressed his disagreement over the row:

"The Burkini has no place in France where a woman is equal to the man. To let these activists do to #Grenoble as it is everywhere in France is to give up the Republic. I will never accept it." he tweeted with a video of women in burkini at a public swimming pool.

But the Alliance Citoyenne (a citizens group with the stated goal of fighting injustice) likened the women's action to that of US civil rights icon Rosa Parks.

"The burkini was at the centre of a standoff in several French seaside towns three years ago some towns banned the garment, claiming it was a security threat, only to have the bans later overturned by a court." it said, highlighting the history to the burkini being allowed.