PARIS, Sept 5 (Reuters) - France's immigration minister has changed the date of his wedding after Facebook users pledged to disrupt the ceremony, as the government faces criticism at home and abroad for security policies related to immigration.
France's government has come under fire at home and abroad over security measures including the expulsion of thousands of Roma and the revocation of French nationality for immigrants found guilty of attacking police officers.
On Saturday tens of thousands of protestors took to the streets across France to denounce the security measures.
The minister, former Socialist Eric Besson, 52, has attracted criticism for his role in the government's tightening of immigration policies.
By Sunday evening over 940 users of the social networking site Facebook had signed up to a group planning to 'create havoc' at Besson's wedding to 24-year-old art student Yasmine Tordjman, which had been due to take place on Sept. 16 in Paris.
'There should be a Chinese wall between public matters and private matters and this wall is being breached,' Besson told France 5 television.
Besson said he did not want his children, new wife or ex-wife to be 'collateral damage for my political choices.'
Saturday's rallies came just days before a nationwide strike and demonstrations that unions say will attract around 2 million participants opposed to Sarkozy's controversial plans to reform the state pensions systems.
(Reporting by Florent Le Quintrec; Writing by Helen Massy-Beresford) Keywords: FRANCE BESSON/ (helen.beresford@thomsonreuters.com; +33 1 49 49 56 83; Reuters Messaging: helen.beresford.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
France's government has come under fire at home and abroad over security measures including the expulsion of thousands of Roma and the revocation of French nationality for immigrants found guilty of attacking police officers.
On Saturday tens of thousands of protestors took to the streets across France to denounce the security measures.
The minister, former Socialist Eric Besson, 52, has attracted criticism for his role in the government's tightening of immigration policies.
By Sunday evening over 940 users of the social networking site Facebook had signed up to a group planning to 'create havoc' at Besson's wedding to 24-year-old art student Yasmine Tordjman, which had been due to take place on Sept. 16 in Paris.
'There should be a Chinese wall between public matters and private matters and this wall is being breached,' Besson told France 5 television.
Besson said he did not want his children, new wife or ex-wife to be 'collateral damage for my political choices.'
Saturday's rallies came just days before a nationwide strike and demonstrations that unions say will attract around 2 million participants opposed to Sarkozy's controversial plans to reform the state pensions systems.
(Reporting by Florent Le Quintrec; Writing by Helen Massy-Beresford) Keywords: FRANCE BESSON/ (helen.beresford@thomsonreuters.com; +33 1 49 49 56 83; Reuters Messaging: helen.beresford.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.