Demonstration on Saturday: the State will authorize new Parisian businesses to open on Sunday

The State will extend the authorization to open on Sundays to Parisian leather goods, travel goods and clothing businesses in the districts affected by the looting and damage of October 17, the Île-de-France prefecture announced on Friday, the day before Act V against “high cost of living”.

Last week, the regional prefecture had already allowed food retail businesses, jewelry stores and department stores to open three Sundays in a row in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 15th and 20th arrondissements of the capital. While many Parisian businesses close their doors on Saturdays during demonstrations, particularly on the parade route, the prefecture authorizes new branches in these same sectors to “open exceptionally” on Sundays, November 15 and 22 and December 27 “in order to support their activity”. Retail establishments selling leather goods and travel items, as well as clothing, will be able to benefit from these exemptions if they request them, specifies the prefecture in a press release.

The Île-de-France region and the City of Paris announced at the end of October an emergency fund of 13 million euros to help the approximately 450 businesses vandalized on the sidelines of the demonstrations against the high cost of living on October 17 and 18, according to the town hall census. On Thursday, the regional council led by Valérie Pécresse (LR) adopted an initial flat-rate aid of 5,000 euros “without waiting for insurance compensation to repair the damage and replace damaged equipment as quickly as possible”. As well as additional aid of 2,000 euros to secure businesses (cameras, grilles, alarms, etc.) for which all establishments are eligible. To this regional aid will be added 2,500 euros from the City of Paris, 1,500 euros from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) and 1,500 euros from the Métropole du Grand Paris, “i.e. a total of up to 12,500 euros per business,” said the Region.