“As a minister of worship, my job is to protect them. So we are increasing the means which make it possible to equip places of worship in particular with video protection, “said Gérald Darmanin, in front of the Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois church in Romainville (Seine-Saint-Denis), target” of ‘break-ins’, ‘thefts’ and a ‘certain number of inconveniences’ during the night from Sunday to Monday. A church in Bondy was also targeted. Two investigations have been opened to find the perpetrators, the minister said on Wednesday.
“Today, it is an envelope of four million euros which is given and in particular to the Catholic Church if it wishes and independently of the law of separation of the Church and the State”, a- he added. This envelope is financed by the General Secretariat of the Interministerial Committee for the Prevention of Crime and Radicalization.
Rise in anti-Muslim acts
Since January 2021, 1,400 anti-religious acts (insults, vandalism, desecration) have been recorded in France, down 17% compared to the previous year. 1,380 events were recorded between January and October, according to the Ministry of the Interior: 686 anti-Christian acts took place in 2021, compared to 921 in 2019, a decrease of 25%.
Regarding anti-Semitic acts, the Interior Ministry recorded a decrease of 15%, 523 in 2021 against 617 in 2019. Anti-Muslim acts are up 32% (171 against 129 in 2019).
A parliamentary mission is being carried out until March by Ludovic Mendes (LREM) and Isabelle Florennes (Modem) “to make additional proposals on the question of anti-religious acts: analysis of the causes and manifestations of the phenomenon, protective measures”, specified the Minister on Twitter.