Man Who Lit Cigarette From Eternal Flame in Paris Is Arrested

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A video showing the man casually walking across the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier beneath the Arc de Triomphe set off outrage in France.

By Ali Watkins

The video set off outrage in France and across the internet: A man stepping nonchalantly over a chain barrier beneath the Arc de Triomphe to light a cigarette from the eternal flame at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

The man could face criminal charges in Paris, where he was arrested on Tuesday. The Paris Public Prosecutor’s office declined to name the man but said in a statement that he “acknowledges the facts” of the episode.