French Luxury Stores Looted as Violence Spreads Across France

Luxury stores including Gucci, Dior, and Versace are being looted as violence sweeps across France, with masked youths smashing windows and stealing high-value goods. A Paris shop owner described the scene as "like the apocalypse." Around 1,500 businesses have been affected, with losses reaching hundreds of millions of dollars, according to the French retail federation. Stores in Paris and other cities, including Galeries Lafayette and Ralph Lauren, have been vandalized, with slogans like "tax the rich" scrawled on walls. One owner reviewed surveillance footage showing looters ransacking his shop for 90 minutes without police intervention. Some shopkeepers barricaded themselves inside, reporting threats of violence, while others described looters as "high on adrenaline." Lacoste's CEO said the destruction threatens workplaces and the livelihoods of thousands of employees, suggesting some perpetrators may be exploiting the chaos rather than protesting genuine grievances.