ARC DE TRIOMPHE

PARIS : Over 13 people charged on Wednesday over looting and destruction at the Arc de Triomphe  monument to France's war dead during violent ''yellow vest'' protests which rocked Paris last weekend, prosecutors said.

Three of the suspects, which include only minor, were placed in preventive custody, while the others were released on bail.

The landmark arch at the top of  Champs-Elysees avenue, which offers panoramic view of the capital, was the epicentre of the clashes between anti-government protesters and police.

Demonstrators sprayed it with slogans, smashed sculptures and display cases in an underground gallery  and snatched commemorative medals some of which were later found among 412 people arrested over the protest.

France's director of national monuments Philippe Belaval has estimated the damage at several hundred thousand euros, and the arch has remained closed since Saturday.

The  13 suspects have been charged with breaking and entering, robbery and destruction of a heritage site.

Investigations are continuing to identify other suspects in the looting, the prosecutor's office said.

Since Sunday, 227 adults have been prosecuted over the violence, of whom nearly a hundred have have already appeared in court under a  fast-track  procedure. [Agencies].