The activist was stopped by Vatican police before she could snatch baby Jesus away.
ADVERTISEMENTA topless activist from the feminist group Femen tried to snatch the statue of baby Jesus from the Nativity scene in St. Peter’s Square on Monday but was stopped by police as she tried to grab it.
The incident happened about two hours before Pope Francis delivered his Christmas message to the people in the square.
A Reuters photographer said the woman jumped over the guard rails and rushed into the Nativity scene shouting “God is woman”. She had the same slogan painted on her bare back.
A Vatican policeman stopped her in the act and detained her.
An activist of the same group staged a similar action on Christmas Day 2014 but managed to take the statue out of the crib before being arrested.
The goal of the Femen, which was founded in Ukraine is “complete victory over patriarchy”.
