On the Pope's journey in the Popemobile through the city, there was a brief incident on the Pont Adolphe, heading towards the train station, which saw three protesters taken into police custody.
Shortly before 1pm on Thursday afternoon, right in the middle of the Pope's journey through the city, there was a brief but hectic moment.
In total, three activists from the animal rights group PETA jumped over the barriers and charged towards the Popemobile, whilst folding their hands in prayer. However, they were quickly stopped by the Swiss Guard and the Luxembourg police, and they were escorted away from the scene. Nobody was injured and the procession was able to continue shortly afterwards.
The three protesters all wore white T-shirts bearing messages such as "Stop Blessing Corridas," or "Bullfighting is a sin," indicating the source of their ire is the church's apparent lack of interest in preventing such spectacles.
Activists in custody
According to police, officers recorded the identities of the three women and decided to place them in custody.
Not the first animal activist incident for the pope
In January and early August of 2024, similar incidents occurred in Rome and the Vatican respectively. PETA activists staged demonstrations against the killing of animals in bullfighting in front of the pope.
PETA says that tens of thousands of bulls are killed for sport each year, in what they termed a "bloodbath" which celebrates animal cruelty. The targeting of Pope Francis' visit in particular is related to the organisation's objection to the fact that members of the Catholic clergy continue to participate in religious ceremonies in bullfighting arenas, despite the church's official objection to animal cruelty. In addition, PETA claims that some members of the church continue to actively participate in bullfighting and bull-running practices.
