Paris shopkeepers left penniless after night of riots

Many Paris store owners lost everything overnight as masked groups used hammers and crowbars to smash and loot their merchandise.

On the evening of 17/10, Malaine, owner of a hair salon on Magenta Boulevard (10th arrondissement, Paris), used adhesive tape to temporarily seal his shattered storefront window.

After 12 years of operating his salon there, this was the first time he had to reinforce his shop, which had just been attacked by a masked group. Beside him, his wife, the salon manager, stood weeping amidst torn magazines, overturned chairs, and broken mirror fragments.

Around 18h the same day, a group of young people dressed in black and with covered faces used large hammers to shatter the glass and stormed into the salon, ransacking it. "They took everything, from cosmetics and coffee machines to cash registers. We had nothing to do with this protest," Malaine said, adding that he would stay awake all night to guard the shop.

The attack occurred on the sidelines of a protest against rising living costs and public spending cuts in France. Republique Square and neighboring boulevards became the epicenter of a wave of smashing and looting that lasted late into the night. According to Le Monde, many streets were covered in broken glass, spilled wine, and hundreds of wedding photos from a print shop were scattered. Police had to use tear gas to disperse the agitated crowds.

On Beaurepaire street, the metal roller shutter of the Franprix supermarket was pried open, and all merchandise inside was stolen. By 22h, two workers were called to board up the storefront. The pharmacy next door also lost all its computers and cash safe.

Across from the supermarket, La Barrique cafe was burned to the ground. Lionel, 27, the owner's son, stood blocking the entrance to prevent strangers from continuing to rummage for cigarettes and alcohol.

"My mother was inside when the group attacked. Her head was covered in blood; she is now in the emergency room with my father," Lionel said. Facing the agitated crowd, he could not protect the cafe alone.

A few houses away, Hassan Robiul, owner of a phone and computer shop, sat motionless by his window, looking down at the sidewalk. He had invested his savings to buy this shop only four months prior. The robbers took equipment valued at over 200,000 EUR (approximately 225,000 USD). When a masked young man walked by, mockingly saying "insurance will cover it", Robiul could only burst into tears: "My life is over."

Also on Magenta Boulevard, Jahirul Azam's phone shop was attacked by about 20 people carrying crowbars and tools to break down doors. While attempting to stop the crowd, Azam and his staff were beaten and bruised.

Azam stated that he made five emergency calls to the police within one hour but was told they could not provide assistance. "The group ripped out security cameras, took 50 iPhones, 70 Samsung phones, about 50 computers - including 20 MacBooks - along with 8,000 EUR in cash from the safe," Azam said. With estimated damages of at least 140,000 EUR (over 157,000 USD), he and his relatives must take turns guarding the remaining assets.

On nearby Voltaire Boulevard, Antoine, an employee at the Manga Story comic book store, spent four hours hiding in his darkened apartment directly above the shop. Through the window, he saw masked individuals wielding baseball bats, smashing things, shaking the walls, and setting a car on fire. When a resident raised a phone to record, the group immediately threatened to kill them.

According to Antoine, the intruders targeted the display area for Pokemon cards and expensive collectibles in the shop's warehouse, valued at millions of EUR. "I witnessed everything but could do nothing. Was I supposed to go down there alone and fight the crowd?" he asked.

Amid the chaos and overwhelmed police forces, some citizens stepped forward to assist shopkeepers. Seeing the Kilo Shop used clothing store being pried open, Fabien – a passerby who had served in the military – stopped and stood guard in front of the entrance for four hours. He claimed to be the owner's nephew to deter looters, after witnessing the adjacent Lyca Mobile phone shop being completely ransacked.

By early morning, as Paris city sanitation workers began clearing broken glass and debris around Republique Square, small-scale break-ins continued. Police continued to patrol and pursue destructive groups on the streets.