‘Welcome War Criminals’: FEMEN activists blast world leaders ahead of Paris WW1 commemorations
Three FEMEN activists were arrested in Paris on Saturday after an early morning action under the Arc de Triomphe. They blasted world leaders gathering in the city to mark the end of World War One as hypocrites and “war criminals.”
The stunt started at 8.00 AM with the topless radical feminists jumping out of a car at the Place de l'Etoile and climbing the barriers of the platform, where 70 world leaders are expected to attend a ceremony marking the centenary of the war’s armistice on Sunday.
Under the arc lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which plays host to an annual commemoration event on every November 11, marking the anniversary of the 1918 armistice signed by Germany and the Entente Powers.
With flowers in their hair, the women had “Fake Peacemakers, Real Dictators” written in marker on their torsos and brandished bloodsoaked signs emblazoned with “Welcome War Criminals.”
Another sign quoted the famous mantra from George Orwell’s novel 1984: “War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.”
“We have come to protest against the coming of heads of state who are shaming peace. Most are dictators who do not respect human rights in their country,” 24-year-old activist Tara Lacroix told gathering media.
“They came to celebrate peace while they advocate war,” she added.
As police arrived to disrupt the protest, the women attempted to flee into traffic shouting “welcome war criminals,” but were quickly apprehended and dragged towards police cars.
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