Seven people were arrested in Paris on Monday after a bus they were travelling in was intercepted by French authorities. The bus, sponsored by CitizenGo, a grassroots lobbying group, displayed a message calling for an end to attacks on Christians and criticizing a scene from the Olympic Games’ opening ceremony.
The vehicle was stopped by Gendarmerie agents, and the occupants were taken into custody, reportedly at gunpoint. They were later released without charges. CitizenGo has described the incident as a serious attack on religious freedom and has announced plans to file a lawsuit against French authorities
The message on the bus also included a website address for a petition in defense of the rights of believers signed by more than 386,000 people and addressed to the authorities of the International Olympic Committee.
According to CitizenGo, the vehicle was intercepted by French Gendarmerie agents “at gunpoint.” The six members of CitizenGO, along with the bus driver, “were taken from one police station to another, being treated in a humiliating manner and deprived of communication with the outside world,” they indicated in a statement to the media.
After the vehicle was impounded, the Paris prosecutor’s office initiated proceedings against the detainees, although on Tuesday afternoon, almost 24 hours later, they were informed “that they will not be charged.”
For CitizenGO, this incident is “extremely serious” and represents “a new attack on religious freedom and on Christians, just like the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.”