All cases
Vandalism with Satanic Symbols on Church in Cyprus
October 11, 2020, CyprusOn the night of 11. October, unknown perpetrators sprayed icons, crosses and the church doors of the greek-orthodox Church of Mitseros with Satanic symbols like pentagrams and upside-down crosses. The leader of the village community suspects that the perpetrators could be the same as the ones who started a fire in the church one year ago. The investigations by the police are still ongoing.
Intended Break-In Into Two Churches
October 11, 2020, GermanyDuring the night of 11th to 12th October, two churches were targeted in Burgstädt and Taura. In Burgstädt, unknown perpetrators damaged the town church by the attempt to break-in. Also, on Friday, it was reported that one door had already been forced without success. The damage made goes up to a thousand euros. The second church was on the main street in Taura, where also unknown persons tried to break in, leaving a property damage worth several euros. The Police is investigating both cases.
Suspected Arson in Saint-Laon Church
October 11, 2020, FranceOn 11th October, a fire broke out the church of Saint-Laon in Thouars. The motives remain unknown. The fire required the intervention of the firemen. Fortunately, the paintings have not been damaged, but the stones were blackened by the smoke. The police opened an investigation.
Burglary inside Church and "Heil Satan" Sprayed On Church Door
October 11, 2020, GermanyOn the days between 11. and 14. October, a group of unknown persons broke into a church in Altenburg and vandalized it. The vandals forced the back door open to enter, they also broke an intermediate door open. They did not steal anything from the church but they left an inscription saying "Heil Satan" and "666" on the door, referring to the number of the devil. The damage is estimated to be of several thousand Euros.
Repeated Acts of Vandalism and Desecration at Church of St. Peter and Paul in Steinhofen
October 11, 2020, GermanyThe parish church of St. Peter and Paul in Steinhofen has been devastated inside and outside several times. During the night of October 11th the church was vandalized again. The exterior wall of the church was smeared with paint, the flowers and a sign were torn out of the ground and glass bottles were smashed in the forecourt of the church. The sacristan discovered the damage the next day. The parish has reported the crime and has publicly asked for witnesses.
Pride Parade in France Leads to Anti-Christian Attacks
October 10, 2020, FranceOn the 10th of October, during the Gay Pride Parade in La Roche sur Yon, anti-Christian attacks took place. The ICES, which is a catholic institute that has been criticized before as homophobic, was guarded by the police, while people held signs saying "Blow up the ICES", depicting Jesus in a rainbow background and other direct statements against the church. The mayor of La Roche sur Yon also attended the parade and did not react to the anti-Christian statements or attacks.
Theft of Sacred Objects from Church in Erkelenz
October 10, 2020, GermanyIn the village of Erkelenz, thieves stole gold-plated sacred objects from a church. The police stated that the objects were probably stolen for ideational reasons, more than for the monetary worth of the two chalices, a chalice bowl for the hosts and a monstrance. The break-in and theft happened between the 10th of October and the first week of November. There is an ongoing investigation.
Burglars Break Into a Church in Naples and Vandalise it
October 9, 2020, ItalyOn the 9th of October, a group of unknown vandals broke into the church Santa Croce al Mercato and caused a lot of damage. The Carabinieri intervened and the technicians of the municipality are estimate the damage. The entrance fence was opened by force and the marble was unhinged from the seat, some brass knobs that held marble plaques were also stolen. The Carabinieri think it was a vandal raid. Inside the sacristy some books have been damaged and some relics are missing.
Vulgar Graffiti Sprayed on the Walls of St. Stephen Chapel
October 9, 2020, PolandIn the evening of October 9th, an unknown vandal painted two vulgar inscriptions in front of the chapel of the St. Stephen's parish. The police are investigating.
Young Men Stole Laptop and Money From Church Worker
October 9, 2020, GermanyOn Friday 9th October, some young men distracted a woman who works in the Church in Gütersloh to be able to commit the act of theft. While they were talking to her, two or three went in and out of the parish twice. Afterwards the employee went back to the church and discovered the theft. The police are looking for witnesses.
Student in Swedish School Asked to Remove Necklace with Cross for School Photo
October 9, 2020, SwedenOn October 9th, a 15-year-old boy was asked to remove his necklace with a cross on it for the school photo. The school is unknown to guarantee the anonimity of the boy. Other students at the school were allowed to wear their religious symbols during the photo was taken, like face or hair coverings according to the Muslim religion. The teenager was told, that the cross symbol could be offensive for other students. The headmaster of the school distanced himself from the incident and said the photographer had made a mistake.
French Parliament Debates Extension of Abortion Time Limit and Elimination of Conscientious Objection Clause
October 8, 2020, FranceOn October 8th, MEPs have approved the first reading of the proposed changes in abortion law in France. They wish to extend the legal time limit for abortions from 12 to 14 weeks and to eliminate the clause for contentious objection, which allows gynaecologists and obstetricians to reject to perfom an abortion when they consider it murder, or for other moral reasons. The Prime Minister, the President and the Minister of Health object, that the discussion has been one-sided, and demand the recognition of the opinion from the national advisory committee on ethics.
Vandals Smeared Church Facade With Insulting Graffiti
October 8, 2020, PolandOn 8 October, the parish of St. Cross in Szczecin was vandalized with paint-bombs and spray-paint by vandals with a LGBT message. They left a logo on the display case with the phrase "Only LGBT", and wrote "You have blood on your hands" on the wall. They also threw paint bombs with the rainbow colors on the wall. Bogna Chalczynska, an extreme-left activist and representative for women, compared these acts to a noble fight of the oppressed Polish people during the Soviet-German occupation. This has caused concern and outrage among the believers who demand respect for their religious buildings.
Attempted Arson at St. Gregory's Church in Kevindale During Funeral Preparations
October 8, 2020, United KingdomOn October 8th two young men forcefully broke into St Gregory's Church in Kevindale by smashing a window of the side chapel. They were caught by the parish priest while they tried to set fire inside the church. The two also caused some other vandalism inside the church. The priest chased the two perpetrators down the road but did not catch them. The vandals broke in during ongoing preparations for a funeral. The community of the church was shocked and demands reparations. The police is investigating.
Arson and Vandalism in Barcelona Targeted El Carmen de Vic Church
October 7, 2020, SpainOn the 7th October, a man caused five fires in the same morning against furniture, banks and the wooden doors of a Church in Barcelona. The police have arrested the 39-year-old man. The Church El Carmen de Vic dated from the 17th and 18th century. The citizens helped the agents to locate the suspect, who first tried to flee.
Martini Church in Bremen Vandalized Again
October 7, 2020, GermanyThe Martini Church in Bremen that belonged to the pastor Olaf Latzel was vandalized again, as reported on the 7th of October. It was smeared by unknown perpetrators with anarchic signs and the inscription "Fight Homophobia" on the wall. The Pastor Latzel is seen as an opponent of abortion and homosexuality and a "hate-speaker" by the LGBTI community. The police will investigate. Meanwhile, in November the pastor will stand in court for sedition, because of his teaching about natural family and homosexuality.
Pro-Life Campaigners Banned Outside Abortion Clinic in Manchester
October 7, 2020, United KingdomOn October 7th, a 'buffer zone' was introduced outside the Marie Stopes Abortion Clinic in Manchester. According to the BBC, the people visiting the clinic felt harassed by the pro-life campaigners. On the other side, the campaigners assured the clinic to be peaceful and stand outside with banners. After the case in Fallowfield, Pro-Choice groups seek to get the same PSPO (Public Space Protection Order) for other abortion clinics.
A Pro-Life March Blocked and Disrupted by Left-Wing Extremists
October 7, 2020, GermanyMore than 300 police officers were deployed to protect the pro-life march and pro-life activists. Left-wing extremists disrupted and blocked the way to prevent the march. Some of them were temporarily arrested and the police had to threaten them with the use of the baton.
Repeated Vandalism and Graffiti on the Church of Mary in Madrid
October 5, 2020, SpainIn Madrid, the Church of Santa Maria La Antigua was repeatedly tagged with graffiti that appeared on the walls. Additionally, around the church people have left garbage, which degrades the environment. The church is one of the oldest buildings in Madrid, but it is left in a state of abandonment.
St. Kevin's Church Severely Vandalized
October 5, 2020, United KingdomOn October 5th, the St. Kevin's Church in Bargeddie was severely vandalized by unknown perpetrators. A Jesus statue was found with both arms broken off. The police is investigating.