The Saint-Joseph chapel should be destroyed in the coming months -

F. Launay / 20 Minutes

  • A desecrated and forgotten 19th century chapel must be destroyed.

  • A movement of heritage defenders was created to try to save the building.

  • The fate of the chapel is sealed, all remedies against its destruction having been exhausted.

  • A collective close to the identity movement says it is ready to physically protect Saint Joseph.

On Sunday, a few people briefly occupied the roof of the Saint-Joseph chapel in Lille, waving a banner on which was inscribed "Defend your heritage".

The action of this collective called “Heritage Defense” has been claimed and supported by people close to the Lille identity movement.

The building, which belongs to the La Catho group, is to be destroyed soon to make way for a university campus.

Desecrated in 2002 and abandoned, forgotten and inaccessible to the public, the Saint Joseph chapel, in the Vauban district, in Lille, has nevertheless caused much ink to flow since it was promised for demolition.

The building, whose interest "is not sufficient to justify a classification as historical monuments", has aroused a strong mobilization of heritage defenders and politicians from all sides.

A petition even collected nearly 12,000 signatures and the pardon of the chapel was requested from the highest levels of the State.

In vain.

Owner of Saint Joseph, the Yncrea, a group of engineering schools dependent on the Catholic Church, will therefore be able to have its demolition permit executed.

A modus operandi widely used by identity people

Mass therefore seems to have been said for the 19th century building, legal remedies and means of action having been exhausted in an attempt to save it.

Except that Défense Patrimoine, a little-known collective, has decided to make its point of view heard in a more muscular manner.

Sunday, on an operating method widely used by identity, several activists climbed on the roof of the chapel to brandish a banner "defend your heritage".

The action was also relayed on social networks by far-right figures.

👉🏼The Defense # Heritage collective is currently occupying La #ChapelleSaintJoseph in #Lille to oppose its destruction!

#defendstonpatrimoine pic.twitter.com/33NSJg1YlC

- The Free Student (@LEtudiant_Libre) January 10, 2021

This is the kind of support that seems to interfere with Urgences Patrimoine.

"It was predictable, but Urgences Patrimoine can only dissociate itself from an action that does not respect the law", assures the association which, moreover, does not hesitate to relay the photos and videos of the event .

On the Internet, Urgence Patrimoine also insisted on its opposition to “any political recovery”.

For its part, the Defense Heritage collective claims to want to "put pressure on the public authorities by physically protecting" the chapel, it is explained in a press release posted on Twitter.

The collective, whose number of members is unknown, claims to work "in collaboration with La Citadelle", an association close to the identity movement.

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  • Patrimony

  • Identity

  • Lille