The key facts
- The owner of a shop near Place de la République described a physical assault and looting on 17 October
- The government launched emergency financial aid; Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced access to the activité partielle scheme from Tuesday
- A curfew has been imposed in a number of regions, and the deployment of the military was announced ahead of the 24 October protests
Looted shop near Place de la République
Hassan, the owner of a tech and courier services shop on one of the main streets near Place de la République in Paris, told Euronews that he was forced to leave his business to looters who ransacked the premises over the weekend. 'They attacked me physically and threatened to smash a wine bottle over my head. I had to leave my business,' he said. According to him, he has not slept for three days since it happened.
The road to his own business
A native of Bangladesh and a father of three, Hassan came to France in 2010, worked for several years in the hospitality sector, and in 2016 had saved enough to open a shop with a partner. 'About 10 years ago we built this place gradually, step by step,' he noted. While the insurance assessment is under way, he cannot clear away the destruction: broken phones, empty parcels and glass lie on the floor. He still has to pay rent, bills and his employees.
The assault and helplessness
On the authorities' advice, Hassan closed the shop on Saturday afternoon. Later, opening his surveillance camera app, he saw about 30 people inside. He rushed back, but the police at first refused to let him into the cordon because of the intense violence; after he showed them footage of the ransacking in real time, he was allowed through. On the spot he was completely helpless — there were no police nearby. Euronews also obtained footage of looters breaking into a neighbouring residential building where one of the shop's entrances is located; neighbours asked them to stop but feared for their own safety. 'It was a mix of young men and women, some looked about 15. The stream never stopped: as soon as one group finished stealing, a new one arrived,' Hassan recounted. The looters carried off phones, equipment and parcels; some people stayed outside, passing goods through the broken shop window; the basement storeroom was also looted.
Reaction of local residents and businesses
A local courier who delivered many of the stolen parcels told Euronews he had seen shops in an even worse state: 'We just want to earn a living and do our job honestly. Others want to destroy everything.' Across the road, an Intermarché supermarket has been closed since the looting; staff have spent several days clearing glass and restoring shelves. Some left-wing activists condemned the damage to small businesses, but show greater tolerance for the looting of large supermarkets and corporations, viewing them as symbols of capitalism. The courier disagrees: 'This cannot be justified. It's all the same, everything is destroyed.' A local resident, Noam, launched a crowdfunding campaign for Hassan, which has already raised thousands in donations: 'We know Hassan, he regularly helps us with deliveries. We want to get through all this with a community spirit.'
Unrest after the protests and the authorities' measures
The weekend violence followed four weeks of mostly peaceful student protests against deteriorating conditions in French schools. Human rights organisations accused the police of excessive force throughout the movement, including over rubber bullet launchers (LBD) and stun grenades, which, in critics' view, caused serious injuries. On Saturday, trade unions, the 'yellow vests' movement and students held major demonstrations across the country; most marched peacefully, but riots and clashes with police overshadowed the protests. The government launched emergency financial aid and structural support programmes for affected shops. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said on Monday that from Tuesday affected businesses will be able to place employees on the activité partielle scheme — a state partial employment programme. A curfew has been imposed in many regions and security measures strengthened ahead of the protests on 24 October; the deployment of the military alongside the police to maintain order has been announced.
