Night of violence lingers over Paris as one Chinese cafe owner counts the costs of protest

Two days have passed since the scenes of chaos and looting on Saturday, but walking down Rue Beaurepaire in Paris on Monday, one can still smell burning in the air, likely coming from the heaps of burned rubbish and charred bicycles left among the smashed shopfronts.

Among the most damaged was La Barrique, a local bar-tabac – classic French corner cafe and bar – burned down by rioters.

Its owner, Aline Li, a middle-aged Chinese immigrant from Zhejiang province, was overseeing workers boarding up the ruin. Her face is still bruised from the attack on Saturday, but she also began to smile, greeting the residents who came by to check in on her.

“I’m fine, what matters is that you guys are also OK,” she said.