The key facts

  • A video game store employee in Nice named Pierre became a symbol of resistance to rioters and earned the nickname 'the French Goku'
  • More than €88,000 was raised for Hassan, the owner of a looted shop in Paris
  • Around 2,400 people were detained and hundreds of law enforcement officers were injured; Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced a 'massive' police operation

Viral stories of shop defenders

As France recovers from the unprecedented violence that swept part of the country over the weekend, stories of those who fought back against looters have sparked a wave of public support. Millions of social media users watched the now-iconic clip in which a video game store employee in Nice named Pierre blocks looters' path — even after a hooded man kicked him in the back and another threw objects at him. Pierre, who works at the Micromania store, told the BFM channel that he stood 'in front and hoped people would not try to break in too aggressively.' Local residents came to his defense, Nice mayor Éric Ciotti visited him on Sunday, and users are combing through the video to help police identify the attackers. A frame showing Pierre standing at the store entrance next to a poster of Goku from the Dragon Ball manga turned him into a global hero — he is called 'the French Goku.'

A ruined shop and a fundraiser

Another video that resonated across French society showed the owner of a mobile phone shop in Paris holding his head in despair after his store was looted on Saturday. He was identified as Hassan; he reportedly opened the shop only three months ago. On Sunday, someone launched a public fundraiser in his support, and by Monday afternoon it had raised more than €88,000.

Other acts of resistance

Since Sunday evening, new clips have emerged of people confronting rioters on their own. In one video, a shop owner in Paris, armed apparently with an iron bar, pushes back looters. A Paris resident reportedly poured boiling water on robbers as he defended an optician's shop downstairs. Videos also spread widely showing a man slapping a looter in Saint-Étienne, another person stopping a rioter who was smashing a bus stop, and phone store staff in Mulhouse fighting off those trying to break in.

Consequences and the authorities' response

According to the authorities, hundreds of police officers, gendarmes and firefighters were injured during the weekend riots, and around 2,400 people were detained. President Emmanuel Macron warned that those responsible for the destruction 'must pay' for their actions, and looters 'must pay for everything.' Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced a 'massive' law enforcement operation on Monday following the weekend's events.