800-year-old church heavily vandalised in French no-go suburb Saint-Denis
The Basilica of Saint-Denis, built in 1135, was heavily vandalised last week, with vandals smashing stained glass windows and severely damaging the nearly 200-year-old organ. The vandalism comes just under a year after the Basilica was stormed by far-left activists and illegal migrants who occupied the place of worship to protest a law directed at curbing illegal migration into France.
The destruction was discovered by the basilica’s organist, who found that the engine of the organ had been damaged along with other parts of the massive instrument, designed between 1834 and 1841, Le Parisien reports.
French police have reportedly admitted that the area is a no-go zone, and will only drive through it armed and four to a vehicle. According to a report from 2018 there could be as many as 400,000 illegal immigrants living in Seine-Saint-Denis.
Saadia Tamelikecht, head of the departmental unit of architecture and heritage of the heavily migrant-populated Seine-Saint-Denis suburbs, said the damage to the instrument, which has been recognised as a historic monument of significance in France, was major.
The vandalism comes just under a year after the Basilica was stormed by far-left activists and illegal migrants who occupied the place of worship to protest a law directed at curbing illegal migration into France.
According to Tamelikecht, the vandalism was likely done as a result of someone hiding within the instrument and smashing their way out. Later even more damage was discovered, with two stained glass windows having been smashed along with two locks that had been pried open. The windows were created in the 19th century, rebuilt after the destruction of the French revolution. Police say they are investigating the incidents.
Source: Voice of Europe
