 Protests against the cartoons were held around the world in late January and February 2006 . Many of these turned violent , resulting in at least 200 deaths globally , according to the New York Times . Large demonstrations were held in many majority @-@ Muslim countries , and almost every country with significant Muslim minorities , including Nigeria , Canada , India , the United States , the United Kingdom ( see : 2006 Islamist demonstration outside the Embassy of Denmark in London ) , Australia , New Zealand , Kenya , and throughout continental Europe . In many instances , demonstrations against the cartoons became intertwined with those about other local political grievances . Muslims in the north of Nigeria used protests to attack local Christians as part of an ongoing battle for influence , radical Sunnis used protests against governments in the Middle East , and authoritarian governments used them to bolster their religious and nationalist credentials in internal disputes ; these associated political motives explain the intensity of some of the demonstrations . 
