Swedish Viveka's jewelery shop was looted: "Saved even now"

The extensive demonstrations in France have been about everything from reduced resources in schools to high living costs and social justice.

Alongside those who demonstrate peacefully are groups that have resorted to violence. Riots and clashes with the police have taken place in several places. Shops have been looted. Both buildings and cars have been vandalized and burned.

With new demonstrations expected on Saturday, the government has mobilized around 70,000 people from the police and security forces. They have been equipped with, among other things, armored vehicles and water cannons, according to French media. The army has also been tasked with protecting strategically important buildings.

Parts of the capital Paris will be closed during the day. Many shops and museums are also closed, including the Louvre. In several places, shop owners have put up plywood sheets in front of their windows in the hope of protecting the business.

In Paris alone, around 230 shops were looted last weekend.

Viveka Bergström's jewelry store was one of them. A group of people threw stones at the shop windows, broke the glass and stole several pieces of jewelry. The rear part of the shop was saved by a covering iron wall, but the front part was completely destroyed.

The surveillance cameras caught everything, from start to finish, says Viveka.

- It hurts a lot to watch the films. Even after they had snatched what could be snatched, they still threw stones.

The Swede has had his store on rue de la Grange aux Belles in the tenth arrondissement for 24 years. She recognizes the unrest from when the Yellow Vests ravaged the most a few years ago. Even then, it was difficult to know whether you could stay open or not.

- I then fixed a button so that you can close the shop from the inside.

However, the store has never been hit this badly before. The owner estimates that jewelry worth 4,000 euros, equivalent to 44,500 kroner, was lost.

- Then of course there are costs for the destruction itself. It was around 10,000 euros [111,245 kroner ed. note] just for my little shop. Then you can calculate what this costs for everyone else. There are many businesses that have been affected much worse than me.

Just like many others, the store is completely closed this weekend. Large planks cover the shattered shop windows, and the hope is that everything will be left alone. A colleague will look after it, as Viveka herself is going on a long-planned trip to Ireland.

- I hope that I will not be forced to cancel the holiday and go back. Luckily, it's raining a lot here in Paris today. I think it will actually calm it down, she says.

Shopkeepers in Paris have been advised to hire private security companies to protect their businesses during the demonstrations. But Viveka is skeptical.

- It sounds a bit crazy. I saw it on Facebook and there was someone who wrote a comment asking about this that in that case we should pay for it. Then one can ask what a security person like this can do when 25 violent guys come? It is not possible to do anything.

What do you think about the demonstrations themselves and the discontent that people want to express?

- Yes, so everyone wants demonstrations. It should be so that everyone can express themselves. The crux is just that there are so many different violent groups that stick to them.