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The first sex workers' strike

In 1975 hundreds of sex workers took refuge in churches across France to protest against police harassment, in their first ever collective action.
Police had begun systematically issuing fines in a crackdown on the women who found customers on the streets.
Those who couldn't pay were often imprisoned for days at a time and separated from their children.
The strike began at Saint Nizier church in Lyon but spread to other cities, including Paris.

Witness History spoke to Pere Christian Delorme who stayed with the women at Saint Nizier church.

Photo credit: Getty Images

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4 minutes