BERLIN (AP) — About 800 people have protested gender inequality in the Catholic Church by forming a human chain around Germany's Cologne Cathedral.

German news agency dpa reported that many of the protesters were women from an activist group called Maria 2.0.

The group is pushing for the Catholic Church in Germany to allow women to have leadership roles within the church hierarchy.

The protesters outside the cathedral on Sunday also demanded more transparent handling of child sex abuse cases involving clergy.