Now, Nice bans burkini from its beaches

Nice has become the latest French Riviera town to ban burkini on its beaches.

A 'burkini' full-body swimsuit is seen on the left in a shop in Kuala Lumpur.

In a letter to Manuel Valls, Christian Estrosi, deputy mayor of Nice, said that “the full covering of the face or wearing a full outfit for going to the beach, does not match with our ideal of social relations”.

Estrosi expressed his support to those mayors who have prohibited the full body swimwear, while stating that “it was for the state to fight against communalism.”

Prior to Nice, 10 other towns in the Alpes-Maritimes region of France have banned burkini. These include Cannes, Menton, Villeneuve-Loubet, Saint-Laurent-du-Var, Beaulieu-sur-Mer and Saint-Jean-Cap Ferrat.

According to Prime Minister Manuel Valls, the recent appearance of burkinis is “the expression of a political project, a counter-society based based notably on the subjugation of women.”

Wearing burkini “is not compatible with the values of France and the Republic”, Valls said in an interview with regional newspaper La Provence.