Two Catholic monks from the Rhône region in southern France have been charged with setting fire to 5G phone masts amid concerns the mobile technology could pose a health risk to humans.

The monks were arrested by gendarmes last week as they attempted to set fire to a second phone mast following a similar attack the night before.

Although the two men, aged 39 and 40 from a Capuchin monastery, did minimal harm to the masts, they were charged with "damage and attempted damage with an incendiary device."

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According to [2]local news coverage , the two men reportedly told the investigating magistrate they had wanted "to warn the population against the harmful effects of 5G."

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A spokesperson for the monks told a local newspaper that the waves emitted from the phone masts were "harmful to people's health" and they "wanted to act for the well-being of humanity."

France – like many countries – has not been immune from health-related 5G mast burning and protests. Back in Britain, nonsense-spouting naysayers have included portly Brit daytime TV host [5]Eamonn Holmes , presenter type [6]Amanda Holden and boxer Amir Khan .

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Last year the World Health Organisation (WHO) [8]issued a statement saying that "after much research performed, no adverse health effect has been causally linked with exposure to wireless technologies." But this hasn't stopped attacks.

[9]Three UK says its 5G plans are under threat if tower merger with Euro giant Cellnex is blocked

[10]China passes half a billion 5G subscriptions and adds at least 190k new 5G base stations in six months

[11]Watchdog slaps down Three's claims to be building the UK's 'fastest 5G network' – again

[12]BT to phase out 3G in UK by 2023 for EE, Plusnet, BT Mobile subscribers

In June 2020, a Merseyside man was [13]sentenced to 36 months in jail by a beak in Liverpool Crown Court after torching a Vodafone-owned phone mast. And just last month, West Yorkshire police [14]issued an appeal for witnesses after a 5G mast was set alight in Bradford.

Emergency services were called at approximately 11.16pm on Tuesday 16 August following reports of a phone mast on fire on Trinity Road, Bradford.

The incident is being investigated as arson and inquiries are ongoing.

In a statement, Detective Inspector Suzanne Hall of Bradford District CID said: "Any deliberate ignition to these types of masts present a significant risk to the public. Thankfully no one was injured as a result of the fire, but we are taking this incident very seriously and will ensure appropriate action is taken by those responsible."

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In another recent incident, a man who appeared at Newcastle Crown Court in August charged with setting fire to a 5G mast in Gateshead is due to be [16]sentenced next month . ®

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[2] https://www.thelocal.fr/20210922/two-french-monks-charged-with-torching-5g-mobile-network-masts/

[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/networks&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YUunmUmHcnfI194AakmnpgAAABA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0

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[5] https://www.theregister.com/2020/04/14/5g_misinformation/

[6] https://www.theregister.com/2020/04/06/5g/

[7] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/networks&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YUunmUmHcnfI194AakmnpgAAABA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0

[8] https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/radiation-5g-mobile-networks-and-health

[9] https://www.theregister.com/2021/09/20/three_uk_cellnex_cma_filing/

[10] https://www.theregister.com/2021/08/20/china_5g_progress/

[11] https://www.theregister.com/2021/07/21/threes_asa_fastest_5g/

[12] https://www.theregister.com/2021/07/15/bt_3g_shutdown/

[13] https://www.theregister.com/2020/06/09/arsonist_sentencing/

[14] https://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/news-appeals/appeal-information-following-arson-bradford

[15] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/networks&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YUunmUmHcnfI194AakmnpgAAABA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0

[16] https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9905139/5G-conspiracy-theorist-caused-150-000-damage-setting-phone-mast-Gateshead-ablaze.html

[17] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/