The first sex worker strike: 'We are just women and mothers'

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.

Pere Christian Delorme stayed with and helped the women at Saint Nizier church.

Witness History: The stories of our times told by the people who were there.