A French nun is seen quickly addressing environmental protesters outside the construction of a new religious center go viral online video.
On Saturday, members of the eco group Les Amis de la Bourges, which translates to friends in the village, tried to protest the construction of a new religious complex in Saint-Pierre-de-Colombier.
The construction was surrounded by a group of nuns from the Missionary Family of Notre-Dame who formed a human chain around the area to stop the activists.
The altercation reportedly began in the early hours of the morning, leading to one of the sisters tackling a protester who ran with what appeared to be construction material to the ground while another protester stepped on pipe material.
“I did not expect that,” co-president of the association for the future of the Bourges valley Sylvain Hérenguel told public broadcaster France 3. “I expected the nun to be a little reasonable for public order. The problem is that religious people decide to use violence. I was attacked three times by five people, who seized me, who wanted to throw me there. They decided to protect the site with their actions and bodies.”
Enormous! La bonne sœur qui plaque un ecologiste… du grand spectacle en Ardèche où des religieuses defendent le chantier d’un future religieux face aux militants qui bloquent à cause de l’impact sur l’environnement. ? @ferro_nicolas☝️plaquage is not reglementaire pic.twitter.com/3wSyO7s3LO
— Léo Chapuis (@leo_chapuis) October 16, 2023
Following the confrontation, the nuns continued to take a more peaceful stance, singing while blocking the surrounding protesters.
About ten policemen were also in the area.
According to environmentalist groups, the construction threatens several rare plant species that are not properly protected.
A French nun addresses environmental protesters who are trying to stop the construction of a religious center. @ferro_nicolas / X The construction is surrounded by a group of nuns from the Missionary Family of Notre-Dame. @ferro_nicolas / X
“There is a shortage of jackfruit recorded by the French Biodiversity Office. And it’s not on the environmental study that the Watchtower is relying on to restart the construction site. They do not have permission to destroy the habitat of protected species,” added Hérenguel.
Construction on the project originally began in December 2018 with plans to build a basilica that could accommodate 3,500 people.
Since then, the construction has faced significant backlash from environmental organizations including several demonstrations that halted the process.
The construction threatens several rare plant species that are not properly protected, according to environmental groups. @ferro_nicolas / X
By June 2020, activists installed a Zone to Defend (ZAD) around the area, eventually bringing construction to a halt by October of that year.
However, construction resumes by 2022 following additional environmental studies in the area.
The Missionaries of Notre-Dame and Les Amis de la Bourges did not immediately respond for comment.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
