France cracks down on hate speech

The French government has ordered prosecutors around the country to crack down on hate speech, anti-Semitism and glorifying terrorism.

In a message distributed to all French prosecutors and judges on Wednesday, the Justice Ministry laid out the legal basis for rounding up those who defend the Paris terror attacks as well as those responsible for racist or anti-Semitic words or acts.

The announcement came minutes after the government said 54 people had been arrested for defending terrorism in the week after terror attacks around Paris left 17 dead.

The three gunmen who carried out the attacks were killed by French security forces.