If that's all the news you have to cover,at least the U.S.is good shape!

Vive la FR or whatever.

Nicholas Sabanosh, Clearfield, PA

Kudos to people with good intentions. However, the sad fact is that if these good guys can slip by authorities, so can the bad guys. As far as municipal security goes, that's a huge hole.

Byron, Philadelphia, USA

You have to love the dumb attitude of the authorities. Armature Archeologists are the ones that find the good stuff, usually with no funding and while hiding from the “authorities”. The ones that jump to mind is the Hunley the first submarine to be successful, was found by Clive Cussler. Not to forget the success of the late Mel Fisher in Florida. These people used their own money at no chance of gain if they fail. They should be allowed to keep everything they find.

These people should be able not only to repair but keep the neglected items lost to government time.

Jeff In Miami, Miami Beach, USA/FL

I've looked into a group like this. The one I was interested in joining had a website for groups around the world. In my area the site listed places of interest and other information like when security shifts would change.

Kari, Bellevue, USA

The Cappadocia example is a little bit wrong. These huge caves in Cappadocia were dug by early Christians in order to escape the persecution of Byzantine soldiers before the acceptance of Christianity as an official state religion by Justinian.

Aksel Ozturk, Istanbul, Turkey

Kudos to those who stand for their beliefs and heritage! How tragic that it's come to that. The mystery is beautiful, and they should be revered! The government should hire them, have the things restored as needed, and learn their trade secrets for not only the restoration, but think what light these people could lend on security, at the very least! They are simply genius!

Mari, Des Moines, IA

It is a shame that a clandestine orginazation finds the need to protect/refurbish their cultural icons. The United States will ,sadly, find themselves in a similar situation quite soon. The rampant dissolution of American values of recent days will require a grassroots movement if only to preserve our heritage.

Brian, Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA

The "phenomenon" of urban exploration is not new, nor uniquely French. There are urban exploration/infiltration groups across the world, exploring steam tunnel systems in major American and Canadian university campuses, Australian storm drain systems, and abandoned nuclear missile silos. All are motivated to discover the amazing human landscape that surrounds them, while the mobs on the surface walk by unaware.

Dan, Chatan, JP

I admire these people. They're doing good work--and they're doing it in style. Mysterious adventurers saving forgotten treasures in the underground and museums of Paris--it sounds like a movie. This isn't a problem confined to the capital; I read in Smithsonian magazine about a man in southern France who was given a hard time by the government for restoring a chateau on his own, even though the bureaucrats were clearly never going to get around to it.

And I think the argument that this could give terrorists ideas is somewhat questionable. In real life terrorists don't move through secret passages to do their work--their methods are depressingly straightforward; they board a train with a bomb like any other passenger, enter a crowded marketplace, or drive a car filled with explosives. les UX are not villains, nor are they people choosing to live their lives in fear, but live their lives with purpose.

Carl Horn, Oakland, USA

If this happened in the States the group would be labeled a terrorist orginization and they would be hunted down and given fifty years.

chad, las vegas, USA

Once this retoration achieved, in October 2006, the UnterGunther decided to meet Bernard Jeannot, the curator of the Pantheon, in order to show him this work and to connect the clock to the bells.
After an enthusiastic welcome, Mister Jeannot suddenly changed his mind and decided to keep the silence on this clandestine restoration, frightened that this fantastic action was the proof of the incapacity of the French National Heritage administration, Monum, to preserve the heritage it is in charge of.
On the night of the 24th december 2006, the UnterGunther came back to the Pantheon and fixed the bells to the clock which just rang for Christmas and a few days after because Mister Jeannot decided that this result of a clandestine restoration of an abandoned part of the French heritage was intolerable and had to stop.
Bernard Jeannot can be the curator of the Pantheon but he does not seem to care about heritage.

Karl Tanenbaum, Paris, France

I like them, and want to see photographic evidence of their work.

Christov, Lovely Stepford, Tenn

Maybe the French authorities should hire Inspector Clouseau to conduct the investigation. They already look as ridiculous as he does, without even trying!

John Keese, Rye, NH

Good for them. Why not assist them and let them help the bumbling incompetent French police by demonstrating the weaknesses that could be exploited by terrorists?

Ricardo Maxwell, Middleburg , FL USA

Can they come and renovate my apartment?

Linsi, West Hollywood, CA

I love these people. Finally artists are making mischief that proudly SUPPORTS the state they live in, not defames and underappreciates their country and culture. GO LES UX! And lets hope the proud Frenchman Sarkozy looks the other way and lets them continue.

Joseph Iruku, Atlanta, GA, USA

Classic. Authorities do have some genuine cause for concern in the modern era with terrorism and all, but overall, these sound like my kind of people.

thomas, orlando, fl

"irresponsible, paranoid subversives whose actions could serve as a model for terrorists?" Polish culture existed underground during the years of war and occupation - children were educated, books published, newspapers and cultural publicatons printed and distributed, symphonies written... Although a generalisation, I may say that governments do not understand artists. These are good people, motivated by good - unlike politicians - they are creative, not destructive, they do not fight, start wars, artists, restorers and technicians very often work together across boundaries of nationality, religion and culture - they could give a lesson both to politicians and to some other citizens. The government doesn't like to lose a bit of their control. Let the people be free, it is people who are a nation, and not some spurious 'government'.

Marco, somewhere underground in the, uk

What can you expect from a big government nanny state. Bureauocracy to the point of inertia. Bring back self reliance. Smash the nanny state!

Winston Smith, Murphysboro, U.S.A. Illinois

When you are doing something constructive and interesting, the government always wants to rain on your Parade. Back off and let les UX do their thing. It's too bad they don't allow the general public to see their stuff. I bet it's interesting.

Gary Harwell, Sspring, Texas, USA