Right-wing historian shoots himself in Paris's Notre Dame cathedral 'in protest at gay marriage'

Man kills himself in iconic Parisian attraction

French media reports say historian Dominique Venner shot himself

He is known to be a virulent opponent of gay marriage

The 78-year-old also fought in a militant paramilitary group



The historic site was close to the public

A French right-wing historian shot himself dead yesterday in front of hundreds of tourists at the altar of the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris in protest at the introduction of gay marriage in France.

Dominique Venner, 78, is said to have walked calmly past the crowds before taking out an automatic pistol and shooting himself in the head.



It came three days after President Francois Hollande signed gay marriage into law despite the issue proving hugely controversial.

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Dominique Venner, an historian, shot himself dead in front of the altar of Paris's Notre Dame Cathedral, according to French media reports, reportedly in protest at moves to allow gay people to marry in France



Some 1,500 tourists were cleared from the 12th-century cathedral after the shooting at around 4pm.

‘There was screaming and lots of shouting following a loud bang,’ said one witness. ‘People began to run out in panic.’ Mr Venner had written on his blog in the hours before his death denouncing the ‘infamous law’. He also placed a letter on the altar.

The historian was a former member of the paramilitary Secret Army Organisation which fought against France giving up Algeria as a colony in 1962.

Militant: Mr Venner was a member of a paramilitary group opposing Algeria becoming independent from France

Mr Venner, who was awarded a prestigious prize by l'Académie française for one of his historical works, was a former member of the Secret Army Organisation (OAS), the paramilitary group which fought against France giving up Algeria as a colony.

He was jailed for 18 months in La Santé Prison as a political undesirable for his role in the ultra-national organisation and was freed in 1962.

A report by Europe 1 radio station reads: 'According to our information, he is Dominique Venner, essayist and former member of the OAS who was close to the anti-gay marriage movement.'

The Cathedral was full of visitors when the horrific incident took place, at around 4pm.

'There was screaming and lot so shouting following a loud bang,' said one witness. 'People were naturally very scared and began to run out in panic.

'Police and other emergency workers including firemen got here very quickly, and then the whole cathedral was evacuated.'

An unidentified police source said Mr Venner carried a letter on his person but made no declaration before shooting himself dead in the mid-afternoon, reports Reuters.



Notre Dame, which dates back to the 12th Century, has become a battleground for those fighting over homosexual marriage, with demonstrations regularly held around it.

Mr Venner, an ultra-right wing Catholic, was known to be extremely angry when a law allowing gay marriage across France was finally given the seal of approval earlier this month.

According to the International Business Times, Venner wrote: 'The demonstrators of May 26 [against the law allowing gay marriage in France] will be right to shout their impatience and rage. A law steeped in infamy, once voted, can always be voided.'

Icon: The cathedral welcomes 13 million visitors a year

Bystanders: The cathedral was full of people who saw the horrific suicide take place

Last week another male pensioner pensioner walked into the foyer of a nursery in Paris and blasted himself to death with a sawn-off shotgun in front of children.

Around a dozen pupils - some as young as five - and one teacher at the private school close to the Eiffel Tower witnessed the horrific events.

'I thought there were terrorists who had guns and were coming into the school. Then I saw the man on the ground with a lot of blood,' said one five-year-old witness.

Many of those who witnessed today's carnage were expected to be treated by psychiatrists specialising in sudden trauma.

The chaotic scenes last week as parents come to get their children at the nursery school where a man committed suicide in front of pupils

Notre Dame has seen a number of suicides in its long history, but most of them have been people who jumped from the towers.



This year the cathedral got new bells as part of celebrations marking 850 years since construction on the cathedral began.

Regularly scheduled guided visits of the world-famous gothic cathedral were taking place at the time of the incident, according to the church’s website.

