2023-06-30 12:37:07
“It’s the first time in 25 years that I’ve seen this.” Shopkeepers and residents of central Paris observed, often distraught, on Friday, the damage of a night of looting and ransacking in the heart of the capital.
“Today is a lost day’s work,” says Yvan – he did not want to give his last name -, maintenance worker at a shoe store in Châtelet les Halles, sitting on steps near the store.
Crumbled windows, stolen shoes… Both the shop and the store of a famous American sports brand a few meters away were looted and ransacked in the middle of the night.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen this, I won’t be able to work today … I have a family to feed, it’s stupid to do that,” he laments, while waiting for the arrival of the store manager.
Opposite, Marieline, who did not want to reveal her full identity, co-manager of the “Au coeur Couronne” café, had to bring all the customers who were seated on the terrace during the night inside the establishment.
“We were and we are very worried,” she said. “When they attacked the stores. I called the police, I even put out a garbage fire next to the restaurant”.
However, she does not intend to close the bar next night. “I have reservations, I have to open, but if it continues, maybe I’ll close earlier,” she adds.
After having “been very afraid for the restaurant”, Noëlle, an employee of the Maison Pouquelin in Châtelet, admits to being worried at the idea that the riots continue.
“We went through the Covid, everyone gave up, so if it’s like that now the traders are dead,” she says, leaning on the restaurant counter.
Rue de Rivoli, Luisa Viera, 58, lives between a jeweler and the store of a French clothing brand, ransacked and looted in the night.
Caretaker of the building, she was awakened by a “huge noise” and around 2 a.m., put a padlock on the door of the clothing store, to prevent “people from continuing to come by and steal clothes”.
“Tonight, I’m afraid they’ll come back and do worse,” she admits, leaning against the front door of the building.
Present with the rioters during the night, Ibrahim (assumed first name), seated opposite the American brand’s sporting goods store, confides having witnessed “mortar fire” of fireworks. But he was “surprised” by the turn of events as the hours passed.
“They are neither right nor wrong, because stealing and looting is not going to help the investigation. But showing our anger shows that we are fed up with police blunders, ”he argues, without knowing yet whether he will participate in the rallies planned for Friday evening.
Following the damage, the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, convened a city crisis unit in the morning.
1688134204
#heart #Paris #traders #worried #night #riots