“We’ve Destroyed Everything!” French Looters Brag About Riots on Social Media

Looters and rioters involved in the unrest in France over the past weekend are posting videos on TikTok and X where they boast about stolen goods. They also describe how they allegedly dealt with police officers dispersing the crowd. "Thank you, Paris, thank you, Panama," says a young man in one of the videos, using a slang term for the capital. "You guys are awesome, we’ve destroyed everything here." The guy has red eyes, possibly from tear gas. He continues to list his loot. "I grabbed some new gear from Under Armour," he says, referring to the American sportswear brand. He then shifts to the police from the CRS (special forces). "You guys ran so fast, we just wiped you out," he states, ending the video with the words: "Generation Z, respect." ## ## "Looting Helps Save Money" In another video, a young man explains to the interviewer why he participated in this. He says he was protesting against fuel prices since his mother has a car. He stole clothing and other items from a sports store. "Ultimately, looting helps save money," he claims. When asked what he thinks about France, the young man replies: "I feel like there is racism in France, and we should all be equal." He recounts that earlier the same day he was denied entry to a restaurant while a "Frenchman" was allowed in. The interviewer asks if looting will reinforce the stereotype of a "North African immigrant who steals." He responds: "If we continue like this, chaos will ensue." ## ## "It’s Embarrassing to Look Store Owners in the Eyes" This bravado sharply contrasts with sentiments in the government. On Monday, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez admitted that the police had lost control of the situation. "On Saturday in several major cities, after hundreds of stores were looted, it was simply unbearable to look the owners in the eyes and claim that we had not lost control," he said. Nuñez acknowledged that the deployment of law enforcement did not anticipate the developments. According to him, about 60,000 police officers and gendarmes were deployed across the country on Saturday. This was not enough to cope with the numerous groups of rioters and looters acting in the protest fields. "Given the damage caused, it would be appropriate to resign," he noted. However, President Emmanuel Macron did not accept it. ## ## Damage Estimated at "Hundreds of Millions" On Saturday, around half a million people took to the streets across France in protests against the rising cost of living, according to authorities. The protests escalated into some of the most violent acts in the country in recent years: town halls and stores were looted and set on fire. In Paris, crowds of masked men in black hoodies tore down metal shutters and broke into stores. According to AFP journalists, they swept shelves of cigarettes, sunglasses, clothing, jewelry, and food. Looters left supermarkets with bags stuffed with pastries, fruit juice, and alcohol. Antique watches disappeared from a small jewelry shop, and entire racks of sunglasses vanished from the displays. In some stores, looters threw cash registers to the floor only to find them empty. According to French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, at least 3,000 retail outlets were affected. Alain Di Crescenzo, president of the Chamber of Commerce, estimated the damage at "hundreds of millions of euros." The police arrested more than 2,500 people. About 1,000 law enforcement officers were injured. Protesters were also harmed; in particular, one demonstrator had his hand severed by a police stun grenade. Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin reported that over the weekend, more than 2,330 people were taken into custody, 70% of whom were adults.