World

Topless Femen activist tries to snatch Jesus statue from Vatican crib

Vatican gendarme stopped her from taking the statue and she was detained

Reuters December 25, 2017

a vatican gendarme attempts to block a topless activist of women 039 s rights group femen who tries to reach the nativity scene in saint peter 039 s square in the vatican december 25 2017 photo reuters

A Vatican gendarme attempts to block a topless activist of women's rights group Femen, who tries to reach the Nativity scene in Saint Peter's square in the Vatican December 25, 2017. PHOTO: REUTERS

VATICAN CITY: A topless activist from the feminist group Femen tried to snatch the statue of the baby Jesus from the Nativity scene in St Peter’s Square on Monday but was stopped by police as she grabbed it.

A Reuters photographer said the woman jumped over guard rails and rushed onto the larger-than-life Nativity scene shouting “God is woman”. She had the same slogan painted on her bare back.

This woman has been making the internet a safer place for Pakistani women

A Vatican gendarme stopped her from taking the statue and she was detained. The incident happened about two hours before Pope Francis delivered his Christmas message to some 50,000 people in the square.

The group’s website identified her as Alisa Vinogradova and called her a “sextremist”. It says the goal of the group, which was founded in Ukraine, is “complete victory over patriarchy”.

A Femen activist staged a similar action on Christmas Day 2104 but managed to take the statue out of the crib before she was arrested.