Many French towns keeping burkini ban

The mayors of 28 French towns are maintaining burkini bans in defiance of a court ruling, as the issue becomes a key one to the presidential campaign.

Friday’s judgment by France’s highest administrative court that it is illegal to prohibit the full-body swimsuit applies specifically to one resort, Villeneuve-Loubet. Its conservative mayor and two others have said they will comply with the decision, which set a legal precedent for the other 30 seaside towns that banned the burkini.

But the other 28 mayors vow to continue the ban.

Gil Bernardi, the mayor of Le Lavandou, said: “There are no burkinis on the beach (here) and we are making sure it stays that way. The beach is a place to relax, not a space for ideological or religious confrontation.”