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Luxury boutiques have become some of the targets of looters during unrest in Paris. Footage of ransacked Dior, Celine, Burberry and Louis Vuitton stores has been circulating on social media. Supermarkets and electronics retailers have also been attacked. Videos filmed around Place de la République show smashed storefronts, merchandise scattered across the streets and damaged public property.

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Particular attention has focused on Dior’s flagship boutique, where the fashion house has stationed private security guards at the entrance. Videos circulating online show the guards standing outside the store at night. The brand’s decision has raised questions about whether security personnel would be able to protect the boutique in the event of another attack.

Social media users have questioned whether the guards could stop an angry crowd. Some asked whether they were armed, while others speculated that the men stationed outside might not be professional security guards at all, but office employees deployed simply to give the appearance of protection.

One commenter described them as “well-dressed men without weapons” and questioned whether they could stand up to looters. Another jokingly wondered whether the guards planned to spray the crowd with perfume from Dior bottles.

Others, however, praised the brand’s decision.

“Dior didn’t wait for the government to act. Smart move,” one user wrote, noting that private security is often beyond the means of small shop owners.

Stores Reinforce Their Storefronts

Dior was not the only brand to introduce additional security measures. Following the looting, businesses across Paris began repairing damaged storefronts and installing protective barriers.

According to Le Monde, workers were reinforcing the windows of Louis Vuitton and Jil Sander boutiques on Avenue Montaigne after they were damaged by thrown objects. Later that day, reports emerged that a nearby Celine store had been completely ransacked.

Even before demonstrations began on October 17, businesses along the Champs-Élysées and in the Madeleine and Saint-Lazare districts had started taking precautions to protect their storefronts. According to Le Parisien, workers were installing a heavy metal grille outside Mauboussin’s jewelry store on the Champs-Élysées. Levi’s, the PSG Store and other retailers prepared wooden or steel protective panels amid fears of possible clashes.

Who Will Pay for the Damage?

The unrest has raised concerns about Paris’s future as a major tourist destination and shopping hub. Social media users have questioned whether tourists will still want to visit the city and buy luxury goods if stores and other businesses continue to be targeted by looters.

Some commenters blamed the government of President Emmanuel Macron for the situation. Others highlighted the disparity between major luxury brands, which can afford to hire their own security teams, and small-business owners, who must deal with the aftermath of the looting largely on their own.

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