18.10.2026 14:10
During protests against the high cost of living in France on October 17, luxury stores were looted in many cities. In Lyon and Bordeaux, Louis Vuitton store windows were broken and products were taken, while in Marseille it was claimed that Rolex and Louis Vuitton stores were looted. Across the country, 1,200 people were detained, and 150 police officers and gendarmes were injured.
In France, the protests by yellow vests who took to the streets against the rise in fuel, food and energy prices turned into violence in some cities. Groups targeting luxury brand stores smashed shop windows and looted valuable products.
LOUIS VUITTON STORE TARGETED IN LYON
In the Presqu’île area of Lyon, the windows of Louis Vuitton, Hugo Boss, The North Face, Sephora and The Kooples stores were smashed and products were taken. Local press wrote that the places most damaged in the city were Édouard-Herriot Street and the surrounding streets.
THEY CAME OUT WITH BAGS IN BORDEAUX
According to information in the French press, a group entered a Louis Vuitton store in Bordeaux and came out with bags in their arms. In the city, Intersport, Decathlon and Apple Store stores were also looted or damaged, and the windows of Galeries Lafayette were smashed. It was reported that protesters entered the courtyard of Gironde Governor Sophie Brocas’s official residence and caused damage.
ROLEX CLAIM IN MARSEILLE
In Marseille, social media posts claimed that Rolex and Louis Vuitton stores were completely looted during the protests. The French press stated that these claims have not yet been verified. It was reported that the Hermes store in the city was also among the targeted businesses.
LOOTING ALSO IN PARIS, LILLE AND NICE
In Paris, some shops around the Place de la République were entered and cosmetic products and mobile phones were taken. It was reported that an Apple store in Lille was entered, and some businesses in Nice were also looted. Moments when a woman trying to stop the looters could not protect her shop were also captured on camera.
1,200 DETENTIONS, 150 INJURED, 1 DEATH
Security forces intervened against protesters with pepper spray and water cannons. The French Ministry of the Interior had announced that as of 15:00, 272 people had been detained nationwide. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu reported that a total of 1,200 people were detained within the scope of the protests and that 150 gendarmes and police officers were injured. A person who fell ill during the protest in Paris also died.