The occupation of Saint-Nizier Church by Lyon prostitutes refers to the ten-day occupation of Saint-Nizier Church in Lyon by more than a hundred prostitutes on 2 June to draw attention to their inhumane working conditions.
In the s, French police kept prostitutes under increasing pressure. The police reprisals [ 1 ] forced prostitutes to work increasingly in secret. As a result, protection of prostitutes decreased and led to more violence against them. In April , the Lyon prostitutes started to organise themselves and their leader, "Ulla" appeared on television to publicise the women's demands.
On 2 June more than prostitutes occupied the Saint-Nizier church in rue de Brest and went on strike. The occupation made national headlines and was reported internationally. Local people supported the women and brought clothes and food.
The occupation received support from political, union and feminist organisations. The parish priest, the Rev. The event marks the starting point of an international movement for the International Day of Remembrance for Women Who Died in Prostitution.
Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read Edit View history. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version. In other projects. Wikidata item. Background [ edit ]. Occupation [ edit ]. Legacy [ edit ]. See also [ edit ]. References [ edit ]. Die Welt in German. Die Welt - Online. Retrieved Le Point in French.
