PARIS -- Dozens of public housing advocates protested outside the gutted Notre Dame in Paris on Monday to demand that France's poorest be remembered after donors pledged $1 billion to rebuild the cathedral and its destroyed roof.
About 50 people from a French homeless association gathered with placards reading "1 billion in 24 hours." They chanted slogans directed at Bernard Arnault, the CEO of luxury group LVMH, who last week pledged $226 million. Some chanted "Notre Dame needs a roof, we need a roof too!"
"We are here ... to somewhat denounce these billionaires who show off by funding Notre Dame's rebuilding," said Jean-Baptiste Eyraut, the spokesman for the Right to Housing association.
Paris police monitored the peaceful protest on the central Paris island on which Notre Dame is located but didn't intervene, and the protest dispersed after several hours.
In addition to Arnault's pledge, another billionaire, Francois Pinault, and his son pledged about $112 million for the reconstruction effort from their holding company Artemis.
After Easter Mass on Sunday, Paris Archbishop Michel Aupetit said authorities ought to "rethink the whole island and make a place for the poor."
A Section on 04/23/2019