Widespread riots in French cities devastate restaurants and shops, prompting emergency aid
Riots and looting across Paris and other French cities have razed restaurants and stores, leaving owners such as Aline with nothing left.
Violent disturbances erupted in Paris and spread to other French cities, with mobs targeting shops and eateries. Aline, the proprietor of the restaurant « À La Barrique » in the 10th arrondissement, described how the crowd battered shutters, broke doors with heavy bars and ultimately set the premises ablaze, stealing all equipment and personal items. She says the assailants were largely minors and that she and several others inside were helpless.
Parallel reports from Marseille detail extensive damage to storefronts, while in Nice a video-game retailer was pelted with objects and physically attacked. Authorities estimate thousands of merchants have suffered losses. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu responded by approving immediate full short-time work compensation for staff and creating a dedicated emergency fund to provide quick cash flow to the hardest-hit businesses.
Why it matters
The unrest threatens the livelihoods of thousands of French small-business owners and tests the government's capacity to respond.
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