Femen protester stages mock suicide at Notre Dame cathedral (day after actual suicide there)

[Phillip McCleod]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/22/femen-mock-suicide-notre-dame?guni=Network%20front:network-front%20main-3%20Main%20trailblock:Network%20front%20-%20main%20trailblock osition10

A member of the militant feminist group Femen, known for its provocative topless protests, on Wednesday staged a mock suicide in Notre Dame cathedral in the French capital, less than 24 hours after a far-right historian killed himself there in front of visitors and church-goers.

Posing with a pistol in her mouth the woman, who had "May fascism rest in hell" written in black letters across her naked torso, was detained by security guards. She was then arrested by police outside the cathedral and taken to the nearby police station.

Femen claimed responsibility for the protest on its Facebook page writing: "Femen appealed for the death of facism at the exact same place extreme-right activist Dominique Venner committed suicide yesterday afternoon. Our activist was arrested by the police."

Inna Schevchenko, leader of the Femen movement, told journalists the protester was a French woman named Marguerite. "It is a message addressed to all those who support facism and those who have expressed sympathy for the extreme-right militant who killed himself in Notre Dame – namely Marine Le Pen."

Dominique Venner, 78, a far-right essayist and historian took his life in front of the altar at Notre Dame on Tuesday after writing a blog condemning France's recently passed law allowing same-sex marriage and adoption.

..

too soon? too much? .. or just right?

[ZombieHorde]

1. "too soon? too much? .. or just right?"

I am not sure how to judge that. I do believe that a diversity of tactics can be beneficial for a social movement, but judging the effectiveness of some of the more "creative" ones is complex, in my opinion.

[Phillip McCleod]

2. my thoughts as well..

..so far femen's success at drawing attention to critical issues in uncharted terrain has been pretty awesome to behold.

most of all, though, i really like that they piss right-wingers off. man, are they good at that.. pun sort of unintended.