Recently, a nun took matters into her own hands when an eco-activist stormed the construction site of a new Catholic center in Saint-Pierre-de-Colombier, Ardèche in France.

The video of the nun tackling the protester has since gone viral.

The region has witnessed ongoing tensions between environmental activists and the nuns overseeing the construction project. The root of the dispute? Environmentalists are deeply concerned about the “environmental footprint” of the new religious center and the threat it poses to a specific rare plant species.

Sylvain Hérenguel, co-president of the association for the future of the Bourges valley, commented on the incident, stating, “I didn’t expect that. I expected the nuns to be a little reasonable for the public order. They decided to protect the site with their actions and their bodies.”

While the initial exchange might have been heated, the nuns soon resumed a more serene approach, using songs to express their determination to see the project through. The site was also monitored by approximately ten police officers ensuring the situation didn’t escalate further.

Hérenguel further emphasized the environmental concerns, mentioning, “There is reseda of jackfruit noted by the French Biodiversity Office. They do not have authorization to destroy the habitats of protected species.”

This church construction project, which began in 2018, aims to build a basilica accommodating 3,500 people. Since its inception, the project has faced backlash, leading to multiple interruptions. Activists even established a Zone to Defend (ZAD) by mid-2020. Although construction was halted later that year, it resumed in 2022 after additional environmental considerations were made.

Watch below:

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