Urban guerrilla warfare in Paris, defaced and damaged the Arc de Triomphe

TheArc de Triomphe in Paris, the celebrated monument erected at Napoleon’s behest in the early 19th century as a celebration of victory at the Battle of Austerlitz (but it would not be finished until 1836, and dedicated by the then King of France, Louis Philippe I, to the armies of the revolution and the empire), was was stormed during the day yesterday, Saturday, December 1, by demonstrators gathered at the Place De Gaulle for protests by the gilets jaunes, the yellow vests, against French President Emmanuel Macron. The movement, since a few days ago, has kicked off a strong protest against Macron because of his decision to raise fuel prices as part of an energy plan that affects the whole of France.Started with an online collection of signatures, the yellow vest movement has since spilled into the squares, resulting in roadblocks and violent clashes that have already caused hundreds of injuries and at least a couple of casualties.

The scuffles, as anticipated, also occurred yesterday at the Arc de Triomphe. The monument was defaced by the casseurs with various inscriptions praising the protest, and there was also damage to the interior of the structure (the Arc de Triomphe houses a small museum that tells its story): in particular, a plaster model for the main figure of the Departure of the Volunteers, a 1792 work by François Rude that adorns the exterior of the Arc, was badly damaged. As a result, the Arch was closed to the public to allow for initial damage estimates. However, technicians from the Centre des monuments nationaux, the entity that manages the Arch, are already at work repairing the damage. Some photos of the damage can be seen on the Twitter profile of Philippe Bélaval, president of the Centre.

There were several condemnations from the French political world. Macron assured that “the perpetrators of the violence will be identified and held accountable for their actions before justice,” specifying that “no cause justifies that the Arc de Triomphe be defaced.” Culture Minister Franck Riester said, “I strongly condemn the unacceptable violence committed against our law enforcement and our national heritage, especially at the Arc de Triomphe and the Tuileries Gardens.” Indeed, the Tuileries Gardens were also the scene of protests, suffering minor damage.

Urban guerrilla warfare in Paris, defaced and damaged the Arc de Triomphe

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