The images had made the front page at the height of the movement of "yellow vests": four men suspected of being involved in the fire of the prefecture of Puy-en-Velay in December 2018 are tried on Monday by the criminal court. The four defendants, aged 21 to 37, appear in Puy for "damage or deterioration of the property of others by a means dangerous to people". Some must also answer for "participation in a grouping for the preparation of violence against people or destruction or damage to property".
One of them, in detention, is also being prosecuted for "violence with use or threat of a weapon" which did not lead to total incapacity for work (ITT). He is accused of having thrown acid products towards the police one week after the fire on December 8. Three other people, minors at the time of the facts, are summoned Wednesday to the children's court.
Maybe a report because of the lawyers' strike
All the defendants are "originating in or domiciled in the Puy-en-Velay basin", according to the public prosecutor Nicolas Rigot-Muller, and some are known to the justice system for criminal acts. The hearings could however be postponed due to the decision of the lawyers of the Puy-en-Velay bar to renew their strike movement to protest against the pension reform, as in almost all of the 164 bars in France.
On December 1, 2018, on the sidelines of a demonstration, an arm-of-iron had opposed for several hours the police and "yellow vests" who had entered the courtyard of the prefecture by forcing the gates, before to be pushed outside. Burning Molotov cocktail-type projectiles had been launched on the building, setting off a fire in an annex housing administrative premises.
Eighteen gendarmes and police were injured during these events, according to state services. A total of 13 firefighters' interventions were required to contain the fire. This incident had caused a strong emotion locally and among the employees of the prefecture present that day. Emmanuel Macron went there three days later, on December 4, to support the personnel concerned and he was heckled when he left.
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- Puy-en-Velay
- Aquitaine
- Fire
- Justice
- Yellow vests
- Trial