By now, many of you have seen the footage of the monk (or mud wizard) facing off with hapless riot police during the defense of #Lutzerath this past weekend.
If you have not seen it, treat yourself to it now:
In fact, this mysterious figure already appeared in 2018, during the defense of the ZAD (the "Zone to Defend," a longtime squatted area where the residents blocked the construction of an airport) at Notre-Dame-des-Landes.
According to le Monde, the police ambushed the monk among a group of other defenders. The monk threw three buckets of water at the police, proclaiming "I baptize you in the name of the ZAD!" In the ensuing chaos, he made off with one of their batons.
A complete history of the ZAD, the occupation that blocked an airport in France, from its prehistory in the 1960s to its triumphant victory and subsequent betrayal. A must-read for movement strategy.
