FRANCE: Buddhist monk walks for twelve days straight from Paris to Deauville to bring message of peace to leaders gathered for the G8 summit

Record ID: 862420

  • Title: FRANCE: Buddhist monk walks for twelve days straight from Paris to Deauville to bring message of peace to leaders gathered for the G8 summit
  • Date: 28th May 2011
  • Summary: DEAUVILLE, FRANCE (MAY 26, 2011) (REUTERS) VARIOUS BUDDHIST MONK SEKIGUCHI TOYOSHIGE WALKING HOLDING A STICK AND DRUM TOYOSHIGE WALKING WITH FRENCH GENDARME GOING PAST ON MOTORCYCLE VARIOUS OF TOYOSHIGE WALKING (SOUNDBITE) (English) BUDDHIST MONK SEKIGUCHI TOYOSHIGE SAYING: "I came here for praying for peace, harmony of religions and abolishment of nuclear weapons and nuclear power plants, for a message to France" STICK AND DRUM VARIOUS OF TOYOSHIGE PRAYING BADGES READING "MUSKOKA G8 CANADA" (SOUNDBITE) (English) BUDDHIST MONK SEKIGUCHI TOYOSHIGE SAYING "Maybe French policemen not interested, don't like me, don't like this message, I think so. So three days ago, before going to the city of peace of Deauville, French government police took my banners." VARIOUS OF TOYOSHIGE PRAYING ON ROUND-ABOUT WITH TRAFFIC AND POLICE CAR PASSING BY PHOTOGRAPH OF BANNER WHICH WAS CONFISCATED BY FRENCH POLICE VARIOUS OF TOYOSHIGE PRAYING TOYOSHIGE LEAVING WITH POLICE MEN WATCHING TOYOSHIGE LEAVING
  • Embargoed: 12th June 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: France, France
  • City:
  • Country: France
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA9XA2GV1EP05FVKK4GFBU87A7R
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: With the city of Deauville sealed off to demonstrators, a Buddhist monk was probably the only protester on Friday (May 27) who managed to cross security barriers and approach the venue for the Group of Eight Summit.
    Sekiguchi Toyoshige, marched for twelve consecutive days from Paris to Deauville to bring a message of peace to the leaders of the eight most powerful countries gathered there.
    "I came here for praying for peace, harmony of religions and abolishment of nuclear weapons and nuclear power plants for a message to France," said Toyoshige who said he was fasting until the end of the summit.
    Toyoshige flew in from Japan before starting his twelve-day peace walk to Deauville. French families who crossed his path gave him food and a place to sleep.
    He arrived on the outskirts of Deauville and was quickly met by a 12000-strong police force in place to secure the seaside resort.
    Toyoshige said he realised he was not welcomed there.
    "Maybe French policemen not interested, don't like me, don't like this message, I think so. So three days ago, before going to the city of peace of Deauville, French government police took my banners," he said.
    Since then, Toyoshige has been praying in the middle of a round-about under the vigilance of the many policemen patrolling the zone.
    He said he would wait until the end of the summit to head back to the French capital, but this time he hopes to be able to get a ride into the city.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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