After the French weekly Charlie Hebdo published a caricature of the prophet Muhammad in its September 19, 2012 issue, the Tunisian has government enforced high security for the French embassy in Tunis.
The recent low-budget American film 'Innocence of Muslims' provoked violent reactions from extremist factions in front of the American embassy on September 14, 2012, so the Tunisian authorities are trying to avoid similar issues with the French embassy.
The French Embassy in Tunis released a press statement calling for vigilance and announcing that the embassy and all diplomatic services will be closed on Friday, September 21, 2012 for fear of further protests and violence at the end of Friday prayer.
The press statement also said that all French schools in the network and the French Institute of Tunisia would be closed from noon on September 19 until the morning of September 24.
The embassy said that "considering the context, the French community must practice vigilance and avoid unnecessary travel as well as sensitive buildings or intersections."