The key facts

  • Shop owners in several French cities confronted looters in black masks on Saturday
  • Despite attempts at protection, shops were attacked, looted and damaged
  • Some traders sat in tears in front of their ransacked stores amid the debris

Traders versus looters

On Saturday, as violence and chaos spread through the centres of several French cities, desperate shop owners faced gangs of looters in black masks as they tried to protect their businesses. According to Euronews, footage shows owners pleading with attackers to leave the shops and attempting to hold their premises, with confrontations escalating into shoving and fights.

The shops could not be saved

Despite the traders' efforts, the shops were attacked, looted and damaged. According to the outlet, some owners were seen sitting in tears in front of their businesses, amid the debris, as they tried to grasp the scale of the destruction. These scenes, Euronews notes, reflected the despair of local entrepreneurs who found themselves caught up in the riots and fought to preserve their livelihoods.