The trial of five "
yellow vests
" suspected of having forced, on January 5, 2019 with a forklift, the entrance to the ministry of the former government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux opened on Wednesday October 28 after multiple dismissals, almost two years after the fact.
The five defendants are judged for several damages and for the theft of the forklift which had been used to break down the wooden doors of the ministry, rue de Grenelle in Paris, during the eighth day of mobilization (act 8) of the "
yellow vests
".
Mr. Griveaux, who had been forced to vacate his offices, had denounced an "
inadmissible attack against the Republic
".
To read also: After the crisis of the "yellow vests", the ministers go to contact
One of the five defendants was absent for the opening of this trial, which is to last two days.
He was able to take "
only one day off
" and will respond to court on Thursday, his lawyer Martin Mechin assured.
Before the hearing, some of the defendants expressed their incomprehension and impatience, faced with a trial that has been postponed several times, mainly for procedural irregularities, which had led their defense to denounce a desire to render a "
show justice.
" in the rain.
So far, all have denied the facts with which they are accused with the exception of one, Romain M., who admitted having been at the controls of the forklift and having "
let himself be carried away by a delirious crowd.
".
However, he claims to have ignored that the building housed a ministry.
“
When we take a step back, we talk about a broken door
,” his lawyer, Yann Moreau, told AFP before the hearing.
This case, judged almost two years after the facts, is "
aberrant
".
“
There was no exploitation of the technical elements before judging this file, which partly explains the delay,
” he recalled.
“
This case would have deserved more investigations initially, in order to be judged more quickly.
"
Read also: "Yellow vests": up to six months in prison for a toll burned in the Var
The court began the hearing by reviewing several videos to detail the various sequences that led to the intrusion into the ministry.
