Luxury boutiques along Paris’ famous Champs-Élysées and Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré have barricaded their shopfronts ahead of fresh demonstrations following widespread looting and property damage during last weekend’s unrest....
Luxury boutiques along Paris’ famous Champs-Élysées and Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré have barricaded their shopfronts ahead of fresh demonstrations following widespread looting and property damage during last weekend’s unrest.
Workers were seen installing protective panels over shop windows, removing merchandise and lowering metal security shutters at high-end stores, including Louis Vuitton and Yves Saint Laurent, ahead of protests scheduled for Saturday.
The preparations follow demonstrations across France on October 17, which reportedly resulted in clashes with police, looting and damage to businesses in several cities.
The latest unrest comes after weeks of student-led protests over teacher shortages, inadequate education funding and deteriorating school buildings, with education unions and university students supporting the demonstrations.
A visitor to Paris, Arnaud, expressed dismay at the need for businesses to secure their premises ahead of the weekend.
“I find it very disheartening for a country like France in 2026 to have to barricade itself like this on the eve of a weekend, when there are people out and about and shop owners are just eager to work,” he said.
“I’ve never experienced anything like this in my more than 40 years in France,” he added.
Carpenter Gerald, who has been involved in emergency repairs following the previous unrest, described the scale of the destruction.
“A huge amount of damage, a huge amount of damage. A lot of broken windows, a lot of stores completely trashed. Inside, the furniture—everything—was damaged,” he said.
Gerald said his team had carried out emergency repairs at about 40 shops since the violence erupted.
“We’ve done emergency repairs on about forty stores. We’ve been here since midnight on Sunday,” he added.
Meanwhile, boutique owner Fabienne said she had removed all merchandise from her clothing shop to prevent possible theft during further disturbances.
Asked about President Emmanuel Macron’s promise to take a tougher stance against rioters and looters, she expressed doubts about whether the measures would be effective.
“Yeah, we’ll have to wait and see, but we’ll see this weekend. I’m sceptical, let’s just say,” she said.
Macron has condemned the violence and defended the security forces, while protesters and education unions have criticised police tactics.
The latest security measures highlight growing concerns among businesses about the potential economic impact of renewed unrest, particularly in areas known for luxury shopping and international tourism.
Authorities are preparing for Saturday’s demonstrations as shop owners take precautions against a repeat of the destruction witnessed the previous weekend.