Thousands come to the streets, block avenues, highways and transport systems for several days in a row, eventually turning violent, until the government accepts to negotiate.
In 2017, the TLP launched a three-week sit-in on the main road linking Islamabad and Rawalpindi, against the Minister for Law and Justice, after the traditional oath in reference to the finality of Prophethood, "I solemnly swear…" that new members of Parliament have to take, was dropped in favour of the less dedicated statement: "I believe…". The protest turned national, the original oath was restored, and the minister had to resign, after some Army officers negotiated with the protest leaders.
In 2018, when the Supreme Court acquitted Asia Bibi, the TLP protest movement picked up again. One of the TLP founders called to overthrow the Army Chief, General Bajwa, and stated that the judges involved in Bibi’s acquittal deserved death. The government accepted to put Asia Bibi on a "non-fly list", in order to prevent her from leaving the country, before revoking its decision. As the TLP called for a new campaign against Bibi’s exit, the government arrested Rizvi and other TLP leaders, on charges of terrorism and sedition, before stating that they were simply put "under protective custody". They were released on bail six months later.
The campaign against France
The current TLP campaign against blasphemy started afresh when Charlie Hebdo republished cartoons of the Prophet, in a special issue released when the trial of the suspects involved in the deadly 2015 attack on the French magazine began, on September 2, 2020. Six weeks after, Samuel Paty, a school teacher who had shown some of the cartoons during a class debate on the freedom of expression, was beheaded by a young Muslim of Chechen origin, after a campaign against Paty had been launched by some of the children’s relatives. French President Macron decided to pay Paty a national tribute at the Sorbonne, where he praised the departed teacher, who "was killed because Islamists want our future and because they know that with quiet heroes like him, they will never have it". He confirmed, that, as per the French law about the freedom of expression, "We will not disavow the caricatures, the drawings, even if others recoil.".
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