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Right-wing historian shoots himself in Notre Dame cathedral ‘in protest at gay marriage’

By C. J. Refsland on May 21, 2013 • ( 0 )

(Daily Mail) A right-wing historian shot himself dead in front of hundreds of tourists at the altar of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris today, apparently in protest at France’s legalisation of gay marriage.

Dominique Venner, who had recently been campaigning against gay marriage in France, is said to have calmly walked past the crowds milling around the 850-year-old Cathedral, one of the most popular tourist sites in the world, before taking out a Herstal automatic pistol.

The 78-year-old put the gun in his mouth and fired before collapsing on to the altar, according to French media reports.

Dominique Venner, an historian, shot himself dead in front of the altar of Paris’s Notre Dame Cathedral, according to French media reports, reportedly in protest at moves to allow gay people to marry in France

Mr Venner, who was awarded a prestigious prize by l’Académie française for one of his historical works, was a former member of the Secret Army Organisation (OAS), the paramilitary group which fought against France giving up Algeria as a colony.

He was jailed for 18 months in La Santé Prison as a political undesirable for his role in the ultra-national organisation and was freed in 1962.

Militant: Mr Venner was a member of a paramilitary group opposing Algeria becoming independent from France

A report by Europe 1 radio station reads: ‘According to our information, he is Dominique Venner, essayist and former member of the OAS who was close to the anti-gay marriage movement.’

The Cathedral was full of visitors when the horrific incident took place, at around 4pm.

‘There was screaming and lot so shouting following a loud bang,’ said one witness. ‘People were naturally very scared and began to run out in panic.

‘Police and other emergency workers including firemen got here very quickly, and then the whole cathedral was evacuated.’

An unidentified police source said Mr Venner carried a letter on his person but made no declaration before shooting himself dead in the mid-afternoon, reports Reuters.

Notre Dame, which dates back to the 12th Century, has become a battleground for those fighting over homosexual marriage, with demonstrations regularly held around it.

Mr Venner, an ultra-right wing Catholic, was known to be extremely angry when a law allowing gay marriage across France was finally given the seal of approval earlier this month.

According to the International Business Times, Venner wrote: ‘The demonstrators of May 26 [against the law allowing gay marriage in France] will be right to shout their impatience and rage. A law steeped in infamy, once voted, can always be voided.’

Last week another male pensioner pensioner walked into the foyer of a nursery in Paris and blasted himself to death with a sawn-off shotgun in front of children.