The repercussions of the protests in France were not limited to confrontations in the streets, but rather extended to the theft of luxury stores and international brands, from Louis Vuitton and Hermes to Rolex and Sephora, in scenes that highlight the cost of the unrest on the French trade sector.
Between stores that were looted and others that sustained material damage, signs of widespread losses began to emerge, with preliminary estimates indicating that more than 3,000 stores were damaged, and losses that could reach hundreds of millions of euros.
The protests began in France in mid-September, with student movements protesting the shortage of teachers, overcrowded classrooms, and poor school equipment, before expanding with escalating anger over the rising costs of living, fuel prices, and plans to reduce public spending.
According to the Associated Press, trade unions and groups from the “yellow vest” movement joined the movements, which reached their peak on October 17, when hundreds of thousands took to the streets in several cities.
Although most of the marches began peacefully, police confrontations broke out in Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux, and other cities, and included fires, acts of vandalism, and the looting of stores and public buildings. The authorities accused extremist groups and participants in riots of exploiting the protests to carry out attacks, while the movements reflected broader dissatisfaction with economic conditions and the decline in public services.
Louis Vuitton, Celine, and Dior are among the targeted luxury stores
The French newspaper Le Monde reported that luxury stores on Avenue Montaigne in Paris, one of the most prominent upscale shopping streets, were targeted during the violence. She explained that the storefronts of Louis Vuitton and Jil Sander were damaged as a result of projectiles, while the Celine store was completely looted on October 17.
The newspaper added that the looting included The Kooples, Hugo Boss, Jott, and Lancel stores in Lyon.
In a report by Reuters, the names of Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Celine were mentioned among the brands that were targeted during the unrest.
The Financial Times also reported that Hermès and Burberry stores were among the luxury brands that were subject to looting or vandalism, noting attempts to break into the Louis Vuitton store in Place Vendôme in Paris, and targeting other stores in Marseille.
“Rolex” in Marseille and “Sephora” in several cities
The attacks also included well-known watch and cosmetics stores. Reuters mentioned, in a report on the effects of the unrest in Marseille, the Rolex store, which appeared surrounded by security barriers the day after the clashes.
Regarding cosmetics stores, a report by Agence France-Presse stated that Sephora branches in Lille, Lyon and Perpignan were looted or vandalized.
The report indicated that the looting also affected Apple, Carrefour City, Etam, and Yves Rocher stores, in addition to other stores.
As a result, Sephora closed its network of stores in France as of five o’clock on Saturday evening, and kept the branches closed on Sunday, after a number of stores were looted and employees faced acts of violence.
Advertisements for goods suspected of being stolen appear on sales platforms?
The repercussions of the looting that France witnessed did not stop at the affected stores, as it extended to platforms selling used goods, where advertisements appeared displaying products suspected of being stolen during the unrest, according to press reports.
Reuters reported that the “Vinted” platform, a European electronic platform for buying and selling used goods between individuals, intensified monitoring procedures and deleted suspicious ads, after the French authorities called on the selling platforms to take action to prevent the trading of looted goods over the Internet.
Reports monitored an advertisement for beauty products from Sephora and perfumes from Dior, in addition to bags and other products offered at low prices.
In a related context, the media covered clips published on social media platforms, in which people appeared showing off goods they said they had seized during the looting.
More than 3,000 stores were damaged, with losses amounting to hundreds of millions of euros
In terms of financial losses, Le Monde quoted Alexandre Bombard, President of the French Federation for Trade and Distribution and CEO of the Carrefour Group, as estimating that the damage to companies affiliated with the federation may reach hundreds of millions of euros. He explained that the estimate is preliminary, and that more than 1,500 stores across France were damaged by acts of looting and vandalism.
Later, Euronews reported that the government toll had risen to at least 3,000 damaged stores, after initial estimates indicated about 1,500 stores. Insurance companies have not yet determined the total value of the damages, which means that the final financial outcome is still undecided.
As for “Carrefour” alone, Bombard estimated the cost of repairs at more than 10 million euros, noting that 50 stores belonging to the group were subjected to attacks, including 19 food and small stores that were looted, according to what was reported by “Le Monde.”
The newspaper added that the “Intermarche” group detected damage in about ten stores, about two-thirds of which suffered internal damage, while the “Galeries Lafayette” group spoke of major repercussions affecting a large part of its network, especially the major stores in Bordeaux, Nantes, Rennes, Perpignan, Tours and Chambery.
In Bordeaux, the newspaper quoted Mayor Thomas Cazenave as saying that between 50 and 100 stores of various types were vandalized.
As for Reuters, it indicated that the damage to the stores raised additional economic concerns, at a time when France is facing financial and political pressures. There has not yet been a final comprehensive figure for the losses, as the estimates were still preliminary, and the concerned authorities are working to estimate the damages and determine compensation.
Compensation is expected amid fears for small shop owners
Le Monde indicated that shop owners and professional associations called for accelerating procedures for compensation for damages, at a time when French President Emmanuel Macron pledged to provide government support to the strikers.
The government had announced holding meetings with representatives of the trade, crafts, restaurants, and insurance sectors, to assess the material damage and economic repercussions, and to determine the necessary measures to help companies resume their activity.
The authorities representing the sector warned that the damage is not limited to stolen goods or repair of facades, but also includes the possibility of closing some stores for long periods, and affecting their workers.
While the authorities continue to assess the damage, estimates of the total losses remain provisional, and there is not yet a final tally available that separates the value of stolen goods from the cost of vandalism, repair, and the cessation of commercial activity.
France is experiencing the country's worst unrest in years; Rioters clashed with the police, set cars on fire, and stormed public buildings, while fire engulfed a historic municipal building in a French city, with violence and looting spreading to major cities during nationwide protests.
The authorities announced the arrest of about 2,400 people over the weekend, noting that thousands of businesses and stores were vandalized or looted. The riots overshadowed demonstrations in which hundreds of thousands of people came out peacefully to protest the high costs of living and poor conditions in schools.
President Emmanuel Macron denounced what he described as “uncontrolled violence,” which he said was coming from “rebellious elements from far-left groups, joined by a large number of criminals.”
The country may witness more protests; Student organizations in high schools and universities called for new demonstrations on Thursday and Saturday. The National Coordination Group for Secondary School Students urged young people to “take to the streets,” and supported continued closure of institutions and organized demonstrations.
A group of activists seeking to revive the “yellow vest” movement, which was launched in 2018 to protest what they saw as social injustice, also announced the organization of demonstrations across the country next Saturday under the slogan “Macron must go.”
The French authorities imposed a curfew in parts of several cities on Monday, including Paris, Lille and Nice, in light of the pressures they face due to security failures following the riots and looting.
Acts of violence recall past unrest
The violence is reminiscent of the riots that rocked France in the past decade. Sebastien Roche, a research professor at Sciences Po Grenoble who specializes in studying police work, told the Associated Press that the extent of the damage was comparable to what the “yellow vest” protests witnessed at their peak.
The movement was initially launched in opposition to increasing fuel taxes, and then organized repeated demonstrations against Macron's government. Some of these protests turned violent, during which cars were burned, stores were looted, and the Arc de Triomphe in Paris was vandalized during clashes.
“In terms of destruction and damage, what is happening is probably close to what we saw during the first two weekends of December 2018,” Roche said.
In June 2023, the killing of a 17-year-old by police outside Paris sparked days of unrest across the country. Rioters looted stores and set fire to public buildings, while thousands of people were arrested and hundreds more injured. France also witnessed riots that lasted for three weeks in 2005, which prompted the then government to declare a state of emergency.
An unprecedented toll of injuries
But Roche, who has been studying policing and violence for more than 30 years, believes that what distinguishes the current unrest is the injuries caused by the use of police weapons. He said: “We have a number of infections the likes of which we have not seen in the past forty years.” He added that six people, including minors, were seriously injured during three weeks of protests, which led to them losing their hands or eyes.
Police have come under intense criticism and scrutiny for their use of non-lethal grenades and other riot-dispersal weapons during recent demonstrations.
“There is no other country in Europe where the police cause so many disfigurements and severe injuries among protesters,” Roche said, citing university databases that rank Spain in second place by a wide margin.
Authorities blame “left-wing extremists”
The authorities have repeatedly held groups they describe as “far-left extremists” responsible for some of the violence, followed by groups of criminals who take advantage of the situation to loot stores. Prime Minister Sebastian Lecorno described what was happening as “unprecedented organized unrest.”
Lecornu ruled out imposing a comprehensive curfew in Paris, but he did not rule out declaring a state of emergency, and said that it is more appropriate at the present time to implement a partial curfew in certain areas. He said on Tuesday that the curfew imposed in parts of Paris and other cities helped maintain calm during the night.
But Roche said that the extreme leftist movement is limited in number and weakly organized to an extent that does not allow it alone to explain acts of violence of this magnitude. He added that French intelligence services estimate the number of members of the movement at about 3,000 people, distributed among different factions that lack formal organizational structures. Roche pointed out that extreme left-wing activists who resort to violence and thieves target different places.
He explained that activists usually target symbols of capitalism and the global economy, such as banks and McDonald's restaurants. As for thieves, they target sports clothing and electronics stores to seize goods, not to express a political position. He said: “Their goal is not symbolic, but rather to seize property.”
Macron pledges to take a “firm, uncompromising” stance
Macron pledged that the government would take a “firm, uncompromising” stance in confronting the rioters. He said government representatives in the regions, known as governors, would use all necessary measures to protect businesses and public buildings, including banning certain gatherings if necessary.
Macron also ordered an investigation into shortcomings in intelligence gathering and planning, which may have led authorities to underestimate the potential for violence.
The authorities said that about 2,400 people were arrested on Saturday across France, including 855 in the Paris region, 101 in Marseille, and 199 in Lyon.
In Paris, the arrests resulted in 557 people being held in police custody, 78 percent of whom were adults, according to the Paris prosecutor's office. In the city of Limoges, fire nearly destroyed the 19th-century municipal building.
The Public Prosecution said that most of the criminal cases are related to damaging property, participating in gatherings formed with the intention of committing violent acts, and assaulting police officers.
