Immigrants stage sit-in in Paris church

The priests of the Saint Denis basilica say they are not occupiers, they are welcome guests, and that police will not be allowed in to remove them by force.

The sit-in has been organised by an immigrants' support group, Co-ordination 93, which aims to have the basilica full by Saturday, the sixth anniversary of a police operation to end another Paris church sit-in.

Mass is being celebrated in the basilica as normal, despite the presence of the so-called Sans Papiers (people without papers), from 19 different countries.

Crypt home

Tourists visiting the tombs of all but three of the French Kings from the 900 years before the 1789 Revolution have to move around the protesters' sleeping and cooking areas in the basilica's crypt.

Many of the immigrants have been living in France for years, waiting to receive proper papers allowing them to live and work.

"We know by experience that the only way to get something is to stage a big protest," said Ali Mansouri, a spokesman for Co-ordination 93.

"We'll stay as long as our problem hasn't been sorted out," said Mr Mansouri.

Algerians

He says the group has registered 25,000 people without papers in the Seine-Saint-Denis region.

Most of the protesters are from Algeria, but there are also representatives from other African countries, and from eastern Europe.

Mr Mansouri said most immigrants were obliged to live in France for 10 years before receiving papers, but Algerians had to wait 15 years.

Protests are scheduled for Saturday in many parts of the country to mark the anniversary of the police's removal of 300 illegal immigrants from the Church of St Bernard in northern Paris, after an occupation lasting several months.

The Saint Denis basilica dates back to the 12th century and is one of the earliest buildings in the Gothic style.