<\/p>\n
\n\tPARIS \u2013 The Louvre remained closed on Monday morning after students blocked access to the Paris musem, as the fallout from a weekend of protests and looting reverberated across the country and retailers warned that damage could run into hundreds of millions of euros.<\/p>\n
\n\tAround 50 students from the \u00c9cole du Louvre took part in the blockade on Monday morning, which followed a weekend of demonstrations against the cost of living, during which groups of looters took advantage of the protests to target shops and businesses across Paris and other French cities.<\/p>\n
\n\tThe student action was distinct from the looting, which has prompted widespread condemnation from retailers and business groups.<\/p>\n
\n\tAlexandre Bompard, chief executive officer of Carrefour and president of the Federation of Commerce and Retail (FCD), said the damage could amount to \u201cseveral hundred million euros\u201d across the retail sector.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cThe day of demonstrations taking place across our country has had serious consequences for many businesses,\u201d said Bompard, who condemned the violence.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cI fully understand the concern that these unacceptable acts have caused among all merchants, our employees, and our partners, as well as the heavy economic and financial consequences that have ensued,\u201d he said, writing on LinkedIn. \u201cIn these trying circumstances, I wish to express the deep sense of solidarity that unites our sector. Across France, merchants must be able to conduct their business freely and with peace of mind and continue to serve their customers without fear.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cIt is still a little too early to accurately assess the extent of the damage,\u201d Bompard added in an interview on BFMTV, while warning of the significant economic consequences for businesses already facing a difficult trading environment that has been impacted by successive crises as well as lower overall foot traffic as sales move online. <\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cFor many of them, this vandalism could be the final straw,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\tThe damaged \u201cGoyard\u201d shop on Rue Saint-Honor\u00e9.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n
\n\tMore than 1,500 businesses were affected nationwide, according to the FCD figures. The damage extended across a range of businesses, from supermarkets to electronics retailers and neighborhood shops, as well as luxury retailers.<\/p>\n
\n\tOn Avenue Montaigne, the Celine boutique was looted, while the windows of Louis Vuitton and Jil Sander were damaged. <\/p>\n
\n\tOn Boulevard de la Madeleine, the windows of Kenzo, Salomon and Arc\u2019teryx were smashed and merchandise taken.<\/p>\n
\n\tOn Rue Saint-Honor\u00e9, Burberry, Christian Dior Perfumes, Goyard, Graff and Louis Vuitton were among the boutiques left with damaged windows.<\/p>\n
\n\tRepresentatives for LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, parent company of Celine, Christian Dior, Kenzo and Louis Vuitton, declined to comment on the extent of the damage.<\/p>\n
\n\tThe BHV department store also faced an incursion, with looters stealing watches, according to AFP.<\/p>\n
\n\tThe violence was not confined to luxury fashion. Contemporary and premium brands were also targeted in other cities, with The Kooples, Hugo Boss and Lancel among the boutiques looted in Lyon.<\/p>\n
\n\tThere were also reports of damage and looting at Sephora, Etam and Alain Afflelou stores, alongside sportswear retailers, electronics shops and supermarkets in various locations across the country. <\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t A looted Sephora shop in Lille.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n
\n\tBompard called for accelerated compensation to support retailers, and added that employees of franchise partners at the hardest-hit stores could be forced into partial unemployment.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cThe state must protect its shopkeepers,\u201d he said, calling for a firm response to those responsible for the destruction.<\/p>\n
\n\tThe tourism sector also reported disruption. Valentin Prudon, vice-president of the Union of Hotel and Restaurant Trades and Industries (UMIH), said some establishments had experienced cancellations, while others had closed in anticipation of the demonstrations. The damage and disruption could also affect France\u2019s image as a tourist destination in the long-term.<\/p>\n
\n\tOn Monday, the government continued to assess the economic fallout. Trade Minister Serge Papin met representatives of retailers, trade federations, artisans, restaurateurs, banks and insurers to discuss the damage and measures to help affected businesses recover.<\/p>\n
\n\tFollowing the meeting, Papin\u2019s office said the state was committed to supporting businesses and that further measures would be announced shortly.<\/p>\n
\n\tIn a speech to the nation Sunday night, President Emmanuel Macron said the government will be \u201cuncompromising\u201d toward rioters.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cPrefects will make decisions, in coordination with mayors, to protect our cities, our public buildings, and our businesses,\u201d he said, responding to the looting and acts of violence that took place on Saturday.<\/p>\n
\n\tHe also called for an \u201cexemplary\u201d judicial response. \u201cThose who have destroyed must pay; those who have looted must make restitution\u2026We will be uncompromising,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
\n\tMeanwhile, Art Basel Paris is set to open Monday night, with a dinner hosted by Apple to fete the \u201cDesigners of Tomorrow,\u201d the official Art Basel Paris opening party, as well as an open house at Dover Street Market Paris to kick off a week of programming including exhibitions, installations, performances, book launches and signings. Miu Miu\u2019s annual exhibition and event is set to open Tuesday morning.<\/p>\n
\n\tThe events are set to go ahead as planned, but with heightened security measures, organizers said. <\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cThe safety of all guests, exhibitors and staff, as well as the security of the artworks, is our utmost priority. We have extensive protocols in place for our Paris show and work closely with a private security company and, where necessary, the Paris Police Prefecture to always ensure a safe environment,\u201d they said in an e-mail sent to registered visitors.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cAs part of these measures, anti-ram barriers are installed around the Grand Palais to prevent unauthorized vehicles from entering the site and adjacent pedestrian areas. Additional security personnel have been deployed to patrol the perimeter of the fair 24 hours a day,\u201d they added.<\/p>\n
#Louvre #Closes #Paris #Protests #Retail #Damage #Hits #Millions<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
PARIS \u2013 The Louvre remained closed on Monday morning after students blocked access to the Paris musem, as the fallout from a weekend of protests and looting reverberated across the… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[242],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1683","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-editors-pick"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stock789.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1683","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stock789.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stock789.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stock789.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stock789.top\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1683"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/stock789.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1683\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stock789.top\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1683"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stock789.top\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1683"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stock789.top\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1683"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}