The Prostitutes of Lyon Speak

The occupation of Saint-Nizier Church by Lyon prostitutes was the eight-day occupation of Saint-Nizier Church (June 2–10, 1975) in Lyon, France by more than one hundred prostitutes to draw attention to their inhumane working conditions. The occupation ended on June 10, 1975, when the women were removed by the police. The sex workers gathered and protested for two key rights: attaining greater health benefits and an end to police harassment. Sympathetic occupations of churches by sex workers followed in Paris, Marseille, Grenoble, Saint-Étienne and Montpellier.