(LifeSiteNews) — A Catholic nun on Monday drew admiration from supporters after she chased and tackled an environmental protester attempting to stop the construction of a Catholic religious center.
In a video that went viral on social media, a Catholic nun can be seen running after an environmental activist protesting the construction of a Catholic religious center in Saint-Pierre-de-Colombier in Ardèche, France.
The nun then tackles the activist, a member of the Les Amis de la Bourges ecological movement, taking him to the ground.
In the foreground, another climate activist can be seen stepping on and smashing what appear to be pipes for the construction project.
Énorme ! La bonne sœur qui plaque un écologiste… du grand spectacle en Ardèche où des religieuses défendent le chantier d’un futur centre religieux face aux militants qui bloquent à cause de l’impact sur l’environnement.
🎥 @ferro_nicolas
☝️plaquage non réglementaire pic.twitter.com/3wSyO7s3LO— Léo Chapuis (@leo_chapuis) October 16, 2023
Protesters had gathered to oppose the construction of the facility, a chapel and residential center for the Missionary Family of Our Lady, where they were met with nuns who linked arms to form a human chain protecting the Catholic development and sang.
Social media users reacted with admiration and amusement at the nun’s all-in defense.
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“A French Nun just made a textbook open-field tackle on a climate activist trying to block the construction of a new Church,” one user on X, formerly Twitter, remarked.
“She should play rugby with a tackle that good!” another quipped.
France 3 reported that demonstrations opposing the Catholic center have been ongoing for four years.
Environmental protesters allegedly seek to “defend agricultural land that could be used for future generations,” according to Sylvain Hérenguel, co-president of Les Amis de la Bourges.