Vincent Maurin, a Communist candidate of the Left Front in the city of Bordeaux, not only opposed the opening of a Catholic School in a district of Bordeaux in December but in February the construction of a church in the same area also. A new election propaganda leaflet included a list of changes to be made in Bordeaux under Vincent Maurin, one item being the disappearance of the parish St. Eloi, which he described as a "stronghold of religious fundamentalism". The word "fundamentalism" is printed in red.
A large cement monument of a cross was covered in graffiti during a left wing “Antifa” event on 8 February. It remained covered in graffiti for weeks despite services clearing up the city in preparation for another event. It seems that desecrated religious buildings and sites do not enjoy the same respect as other parts of the city.
The churches of Saint Spyridon and Saint Paraskevi were profanated and devastated by unknown vandals. There was also an attempt to burn Christian symbols and object on the altar. Local faithful and priests were shocked and terrified.
In the morning when a faithful arrived to prepare the religious services, he found damages to the chapel of the Olympic Village. Furthermore, the ciborium containing the consecrated hosts had been stolen. The intention of the perpetrator is not known.
Belgian socialist Member of the European Parliament, Veronique De Keyser called in an e-mail to all MEPs and all assistants for “general mobilisation against obscurantism”. With "Obscurantism" she seems to mean Christianity, as she continues to say: “A Europe which is open and respectful of all beliefs and philosophical convictions cannot be one that puts Christian roots to the forefront. This is not Europe! Europe is one of Enlightenment, a Europe of free thinking, a Europe of separation of state and church.”
A chapel in the French city of Mulhouse was broken into, and it appears that the tabernacle was the intended target. Nothing was vandalised, but the lock on the tabernacle shows signs of an attempt to open it. The perpetrators did not succeed, however, the lock is now broken and must be replaced.
A fire broke out around 10 am in the church of Sainte-Marie Le Boulou. A large figure of Christ which was made of wood and plaster and installed in the entrance of the church caught on fire and was burning for hours. The fire department and police are investigating.
Breda O’Brien, an Irish teacher, journalist and pro-life feminist has been receiving hate mail from people because of an article she wrote disagreeing with same-sex marriage and discussing homophobia and liberal intolerance.
73-year-old Bill Edwards was ordered by a police constable to stop preaching outside the Magistrates Court House in Banbury as some people in the building found his preaching “offensive”. He refused to move and was arrested and charged with assault and breach of peace. In the police station Mr Edwards was grabbed by six officers and pinned to the ground.
A group of 30 young activists interrupted a Catholic service in the Church of Saint Miquel de Palma in Spain, shouting slogans in favour of abortion. They were protesting the government’s plans to change the abortion law, carrying a banner with the slogan "Rosaries out of our ovaries" and chanting "Abortion – free and legal."