An unlikely mobilization: occupation of Saint-Nizier church by prostitutesin Lyon.

This article takes a look at the conditions for passing to collective actio n for a group of people both marginalized and stigmatized, in other words, the prostitutes from Lyon. In June 1975 they occupied a church for longer t han a week to protest against police repression of which they were the vict ims. Underlined in this article are the difficulties met by the prostitutes , politically inexperienced, during their mobilization, especially in the a voidance of defection and in the choice of an appropriate type of action. T hey were able to overcome these difficulties thanks to assistance from outs ide sources (from militants of social catholicism and feminists) with a pra ctical knowledge in the field of collective action. However the mobilizatio n of these prostitutes declined rapidly, due in part to the defection of it s leaders.