French Interior Minister Plans to Sue Lawmaker Over Accusing Gov't of Vandalism

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said Friday he was going to press charges against lawmaker Nicolas Dupont-Aignan who accused the minister's "little troublemakers" of vandalising the iconic Arc de Triomphe monument in Paris during protests last week.

"I have decided to press charges against Mr Dupont-Aignan who dared to state at the National Assembly, shamelessly, that, I am quoting, 'it was the little troublemakers of Mr Castaner that vandalised the Arc de Triomphe'", Castaner said.

Dupont-Aignan, a member of the National Assembly and the leader of Debout la France party, told the media earlier this week that the members of the Yellow Vests protest movement defended the tomb of the unknown soldier located under the arch.

READ MORE: 'Yellow Vests' Determined to Challenge French Political Establishment — PhD

The Yellow Vests movement has been organising protests in France since November 17 in response to the government's plans to raise fuel taxes. At least four people have died in the protests that turned violent and more have been injured.

Following weeks of protests, on Tuesday, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said the government would suspend the three fiscal measures that were supposed to take effect on January 1 next year, including the fuel tax increase, for six months. Two days later French Finance and Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire announced that the government would not increase the national fuel tax in 2019.