Priest attacked by youths who threatened to set fire to his church
On the evening of 10 May, a group of young people approached the priest of the parish of Montfavet in Avignon and asked to enter the church, saying that they wanted to convert to Christianity. When they went in, they insulted the priest, shouted "Allah Akbar" and declared that they wanted to burn the building down, and then fled.
"It was first a young man, about 15 years old, who appeared alone on the square in front of the church after the night mass and said he wanted 'to ask to convert,'" according to the testimony of Father Laurent Milan. "Behind him were about ten teenagers or young adults and they were asking if they could enter the church. Some claimed to be Muslim and said they just wanted to visit." The situation quickly escalated as a group of about ten youths aged 15 to 20 entered the church. A witness to the scene recounted: "One of them started running around, others gathered around the priest, shouting insults."
The priest said he heard people shouting "Allahu Akbar" and shared: "They didn't insult me personally, it was provocation and insulting remarks against the Christian faith, like "Jesus, we f*** you," But some remarks were actual threats, such as: "We're going to come back and burn your church."
CCTV footage shows the suspects were aged around 16 to 17 and wearing balaclavas. The victim has filed a complaint and an investigation has been launched. The church was only open for services the following day.
Source: Valeurs actuelles, France bleu, b voltaire
Symbolic Image: Dylan Agbagni from Pixabay