Six people were taken into police custody after activists linked to the Catholic traditionalist movement Civitas disrupted the opening of an art installation inside a Paris church during the city’s annual Nuit Blanche festival.
The incident took place on Saturday evening at the Saint-Laurent Church, where artist Marie-Luce Nadal’s installation “Sous la peau du ciel” (Under the skin of the sky) was due to open as part of the festival’s 25th edition.
Two of those detained are suspected of assaulting local Socialist mayor Alexandra Cordebard and Green MP Pouria Amirshahi, both of whom said they were pushed and intend to file complaints.
The controversy has reignited a wider debate over the use of Catholic places of worship for secular artistic events and over the prominent role played by Barbara Butch, the festival’s artistic director.
Butch, a DJ and LGBT activist, remains a deeply divisive figure in France following her participation in a controversial segment of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games opening ceremony. The performance mocked Christianity by evoking Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper.”
This year’s Nuit Blanche programme included artistic installations in numerous Paris churches. Right-wing critics have accused the city’s leftist administration of exploiting sacred spaces for ideological and artistic projects unrelated to their religious purpose.
Catholic priest Michel Viot wrote on X that, following Butch’s “sacrilegious” Olympic appearance, she had “no place” in a church dedicated to Christian worship unless she publicly repented.
Right-wing commentator Mario Nawfal said that the Saint-Laurent Church had been turned “into a playground for anti-Christian provocation.” He accused French authorities of facilitating an “attack on Christianity.”
Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire condemned the disruption and accused the protesters of antisemitism and homophobia, arguing that opponents were targeting Butch because of her Jewish background and sexuality. While praising Butch for her “sublime performance” at the 2024 Olympics, he pledged that Paris would continue to stand “on the side of culture, artistic creation, and festive life.”
Rassemblement National politician Christian Lechevalier reacted by suggesting that supporters of the event should consider holding similar performances in mosques.
Despite the disruption, the Saint-Laurent installation ultimately opened to the public after police intervention.
The episode nevertheless highlights how artistic ‘performances’ that provoke Christians are tolerated by the French political elites, while comparable treatment of Islam would be considered unacceptable.
