Los Angeles, June 27 (AFP): A protester claiming to be a victim of sex abuse in the Catholic church was arrested after handcuffing himself to the chair of the Archbishop of Los Angeles during mass, officials said.

James Robertson, 58, was arrested yesterday on suspicion of disturbing a religious ceremony after attaching himself to Cardinal Roger Mahony’s seat in Los Angeles’s cathedral, according to the Los Angeles police.

The incident took place as about 200 survivors of sex abuse by priests demonstrated outside the new 189-million-dollar cathedral to protest what they say is a cover-up by Mahony of sex abuse crimes in the church.

Mahony was standing about 4.5 metres away from his chair when Roberston rushed up and cuffed himself to the seat.