Tuesday February 12, 2013, 1:10 pm
*** MORE PHOTOS at visit site ****

Eight Femen activists undressed and flashed their breasts inside the iconic Notre Dame cathedral in Paris. The notorious female group marked Pope Benedict XVI's resignation in typically scandalous fashion.

The Ukrainian feminists entered the Gothic cathedral on Tuesday dressed in long coats, before disrobing near the altar. The bodies of the activists were painted withslogans such as "Crisis of faith," and “Pope no more!”

Their protest lasted for just a few minutes.

“Bye-bye Benedict!” and “No more homophobe!” cried the activists while beating bells with sticks, to “congratulate the world” on Benedict XVI’s stepping down.

The cathedral’s security eventually took all the Femen members outside by force, but the activists remained outside shouting "In gay we trust!"

“FEMEN is congratulating the whole progressive world with the resignation of fascist Benedict XVI from the place of the head of the Catholic mafia. It’s symbolic that today is the day of voting on law of same-sex marriage in France. The ex-Pope was a fierce opponent of gay marriages. FEMEN applaud the complete capitulation of the middle age homophobia! Pope go to the devil! Viva common sense! Viva freedom!” reads an entry on the movement’s Facebook page.

Parishioners of the cathedral were reportedly unhappy with the their antics. "This is a sacred place, you can't strip here," a Frenchwoman told AFP.

The action followed Monday’s sudden announcement of Pope Benedict XVI's resignation, attributed to his "advancing years". It's the first time a pontiff hasquit in nearly 600 years.This wasn’t FEMEN’s first protest againstBenedict XVI. The group had previously demonstrated topless at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican for gay rights, as the Pope was giving his weekly prayer in November 2011.

The FEMEN activists gained notoriety by conducting impromptu topless protests during major international public events in different countries against sex tourism, religious institutions, international marriage agencies, sexism and other social, national and international issues. The Ukrainian feminists also attacked what they called "homophobic propaganda" in the Vatican, and the economic forum in Davos.

Tuesday February 12, 2013, 1:22 pm
You go, gals!
Some more actions:

Topless activists denounce female circumcision at Berlin film festival
Topless members of the feminist movement Femen stole the show on the red carpet at the opening ceremony of the Berlin film festival, there to protest against female circumcision.

Members from the topless women's rights group Femen, with messages written on their chests, stage an action in front of the 'Venus de Milo' statue at the Louvre Museum in Pari
Members of the FEMEN group have bared themselves again, this time at Paris’s Louvre. A group of girls protested against rape by standing topless in front of the Venus de Milo statue.

Femen stages topless gay rights protest in Vatican
Activists from feminist movement Femen have staged a topless protest at the Vatican’s St Peter’s Square, to support gay rights as the Pope was reading his Angelus blessing. This comes as a massive march against gay marriage took place in Paris.

Breast-beating: Femen ‘assaulted’ by anti-gay marriage demonstrators in Paris
Ukrainian topless activists Femen, famous for baring their breasts on any occasion to draw attention to a cause, clashed with French demonstrators protesting gay marriage and adoption in Paris.

Tuesday February 12, 2013, 1:43 pm
You cannot currently send a star to BMutiny because you have done so within the last week.
Thanks Barbara for your additional input! I couldnt find photos for posting that.
And its a pity that generally there is little to none reporting in US /engl. language media about our Berlinale, I would have loved to post more otherwise.

Tuesday February 12, 2013, 1:53 pm
Excellent post. Femen is featured in "Everyday Rebellion," a new documentary about nonviolent civil disobedience and direct action protest. What's great about Femen in particular is not just that they clearly get a lot of attention; it's that their method of protest is a direct challenge to our patriarchal system and its long history of suppressing women, their bodies, and their rights.

Tuesday February 12, 2013, 2:03 pm
correct Brian, and that is exactly why they are doing it and the way they're doing it. Why does it take a group from Ukraine to raise awareness, why not US activists? CODEPINK cannot do it all alone!

Tuesday February 12, 2013, 2:06 pm
So true. We need more women leaders and women activists acting out and speaking up and demanding change.

Tuesday February 12, 2013, 9:07 pm
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Tuesday February 12, 2013, 9:12 pm
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Wednesday February 13, 2013, 1:05 pm
thanks for sharing