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Stores looted across France as luxury brands and chains become targets
Stores were looted in dozens of French cities during protests against the cost of living. Hugo Boss in Lyon, Celine in Paris and a Marseille shopping mall were targeted, and the Marseille prefect spoke of “8,000 looters.”
Nationwide protests in France on Saturday against the cost of living and conditions in schools turned into store looting in many cities. Luxury boutiques, electronics chains, sports stores and shopping malls were targeted, and in some places looted goods were put up for sale on the sidewalk.
According to the CGT union and youth organizations, about 800,000 people took part, while authorities put the figure at 550,000. In Paris, the crowd that filled Place de la République formed one of the day’s biggest demonstrations.
Lyon: Hugo Boss store targeted
In Lyon, many shops around rue de la République were damaged. Footage shows hundreds of masked people gathered outside a Hugo Boss store whose windows had been boarded up. According to AFP, the store was later set on fire, and the city’s tourist office was also burned.
Another store looted in Lyon was Pyrenex. Footage shows hooded groups storming the shop and carrying goods outside. A saleswoman reportedly had to flee her own store during the looting.
Marseille: Prefect speaks of “8,000 looters”
Marseille saw the heaviest looting. According to France 3, dozens of mostly masked people were emptying stores in the Saint-Ferréol area in the evening and selling the goods on the sidewalk. The Centre Bourse shopping mall in the city center was also looted.
Phones, game consoles and headphones were carried out of the city’s Fnac store. A Boulanger electronics store was set on fire, and an SFR phone shop was vandalized.
Small business owners also paid the price. Footage shows the owner of a phone shop that was completely looted sitting helplessly outside his store amid broken glass and scattered boxes.
Regional prefect Jacques Witkowski said “8,000 looters” had been counted in the city, and about 30 people were detained in Marseille. Protesters broke down the door of the town hall, briefly entered and knocked over a bust of Marianne, the symbol of the French Republic. Mayor Benoît Payan called the situation “indescribable and unacceptable” and said he would “hold the state to account.” Events planned for Sunday, including the Fête de la Mer and the Old Port market, were canceled.
Luxury brands in the crosshairs
In Paris, the Celine boutique on avenue Montaigne was looted, and the Galeries Lafayette flagship on boulevard Haussmann was targeted in the evening. Stores on the Champs-Élysées barricaded their doors and windows as a precaution. Other footage shows a masked group ransacking the displays and counters of a luxury store.
In a video that the account sharing it said was filmed in Bordeaux, a hooded and masked crowd forces open the door of a Louis Vuitton store. On rue Sainte-Catherine, Bordeaux’s busiest shopping street, Decathlon, Intersport, the Apple Store, Nocibé and Snipes were looted or vandalized, and Galeries Lafayette’s windows were smashed.
Dozens of shops were targeted in Rennes, a Sephora store was looted in Poitiers, and a Fnac and Galeries Lafayette were looted in Chambéry. Other footage shows young people who entered a McDonald’s going into the kitchen to make themselves French fries.
Retail sector reacts
Alexandre Bompard, president of France’s Federation of Commerce and Distribution (FCD) and CEO of Carrefour, condemned the looting “in the strongest terms.” Thierry Guibert, CEO of Lacoste and MF Brands, said: “Aigle and Lacoste stores are being looted, like so many other businesses across France.” No assessment of the damage had yet been made.
Clashes continued through the night
Clashes between police and protesters continued in many cities after dark, with police firing tear gas at groups throwing fireworks and stones.
President Emmanuel Macron said those who attacked prefectures, businesses and town halls would be prosecuted and punished. According to the Interior Ministry, about 400 people had been detained nationwide by the night.
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