Femen’s "topless jihad" in support of Amina Tyler (warning: nudity)

There were topless protests today (April 5) in Europe and North America as part of what the Ukraine-based feminist group Femen is calling a “topless jihad”.

The feminist group, which describes itself as “sextremists”, routinely stages disruptive actions in protest of a variety of government policies and social problems they deem sexist or against the interests of women.

Today’s topless demonstrations were held in support of a 19-year-old Tunisian woman named Amina Tyler.

Tyler attracted controversy and international attention earlier this year when she posted partially nude photos of herself on Facebook. She told Tunisian media that the pictures were meant to call attention to the oppression of women. Written across her chest in Arabic in one of the photos were the words, “My body belongs to me and is not the source of anyone’s honour.”

In Tunisia, a relatively conservative country where more than 98 percent of the population is Muslim, Tyler’s actions sparked public outrage and attracted death threats.

Femen’s protests in support of the young woman took place across Europe in locations such as Berlin, as well as in North American cities, including San Francisco and Montreal.