"Yellow vests": "Symbolic" penalties for the sacking of the Arc de Triomphe (Archives) -

AFP

After the excitement, the return to "reason".

Eight people were sentenced Thursday to suspended prison sentences or community service for their modest role in the highly publicized rampage of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris during a demonstration of "yellow vests" in 2018.

All were found guilty of breaking into the historic monument, stormed by protesters during Act 3 of their movement.

Those primarily responsible for the "apocalyptic scenes" described by the court during the hearing have never been identified.

70 hours of community service

Rather than a fine, "symbolically" and "in relation to what happened", "the service of general interest seemed good to us", said President Sonia Lumbroso to the defendants standing in front of her.

At the start of the hearing on Monday, she had shown the photos and described at length the Arc de Triomphe covered with tags on December 1, 2018, the interior "completely ransacked" and looted.

The damage was estimated at 1 million euros.

Those who committed degradations received suspended prison sentences - the heaviest of eight months suspended for the young man, 18 at the time, filmed trying to smash a door with a fire extinguisher.

Those who have stolen postcards, Eiffel Towers or miniature Arc de Triomphe from the monument will have to pay a fine of 100 euros.

All will have to do 70 hours of community service.

"The sanctions are adapted to the facts"

The court "resisted the temptation to condemn simply because we do not hold the real responsible", rejoiced Me Sajjad Hasnaoui-Dufrenne, whose client was released for the partial destruction of a cast of "La Marseillaise ”.

The presence of his DNA did not establish "anything other than his presence" on the scene, said the president.

"The sanctions are adapted to the facts, we are no longer in excess" but "in reason", was also satisfied Me Noémie Saidi-Cottier, whose client, without a criminal record, had spent two months in detention provisional for fire extinguisher shots.

Jérôme Rodrigues and other "yellow vests" present

The court released a former soldier linked to the ultra-right who was prosecuted for having tagged his nickname "Boar" on a pillar.

"I give you my word as a former legionary, it is not me," he said before the court retired to deliberate.

He then declaimed "article 1 of the Legionnaire's code of honor": "Legionnaire, you are a volunteer, serving France with honor and fidelity".

Several "yellow vests" were on the benches of the public.

One of them, Stéphane Espic, had even become a civil party - it was refused - to “denounce the enormous masquerade” that he said was this trial resulting from a desire to “discredit” the movement. “yellow vests”, and where we judge “poor kids” rather than the real “thugs”.

A "masquerade", judged Jérôme Rodrigues, figure of the movement and dazed during a demonstration, also present.

"378 police custody" announced after the sacking of the Arc de Triomphe to achieve "that", he mocked.

Justice

"Yellow vests": "It was total anarchy", defend the demonstrators tried for the looting of the Arc de Triomphe

Justice

"Yellow vests": Adaptable sentences and community service required in the trial of the sacking of the Arc de Triomphe

  • Trial

  • Paris

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