French far-right activist Dominique
Venner shot himself at Notre Dame cathedral in Paris on Tuesday,
three days after President Francois Hollande signed a gay marriage
bill into law.
Venner, 78, shot himself in the mouth
and collapsed on to the cathedral's altar, creating a panic among
tourist and forcing the evacuation of one of Paris' most iconic
buildings.
Police said that he carried a letter,
the contents of which have not been released, but made no declaration
before taking his own life, Reuters reported.
However, Venner appeared to be taking
his own words to heart. He had written in a blog post that
preventing passage of the marriage bill would require “spectacular
and symbolic actions to wake up the sleep walkers.”
“We are entering a time when words
must be authenticated by acts,” he wrote.
The law, which also legalizes adoption
for gay couples, is expected to take effect later this month.
(Related: France's
first gay wedding set for May 29.)