By Catalina Guerrero
Paris, Oct 18 (EFE).- “It’s horrifying,” a woman told her husband as they walk along a street near the Élysée Palace on Sunday, surveying broken glass, burned street furniture and graffiti scrawled across shop windows and walls. Much of the anger is directed at French President Emmanuel Macron, capitalism and law enforcement.
“Macron, we’re coming for you,” “The youth tells Macron to fuck off,” “Macron, a shot” and “We will be back” are among the messages left on bank windows and bus shelters by demonstrators who tried to approach the Élysée, the French president’s official residence and office, on Saturday.
The march against the rising cost of living had travelled from Place de la République towards Place de Clichy before protesters stopped near the presidential palace, about 200 meters away, after security forces intervened.
Specialized units trained in urban combat were also deployed to confront them.
Demonstrations were banned in the area, but groups of violent protesters remained there until late at night, clashing with police around the Élysée, along the Champs-Élysées, near Place de la Concorde and in the Madeleine district.
Early on Sunday, cleaning crews worked to remove barriers, construction debris, burned rubbish bins and piles of public bicycles reduced to charred wreckage. Some of the bicycles had been used to build barricades.
The violence also left banks and shops with shattered windows, while some boutiques were looted.
One Japanese luxury brand store on Boulevard de la Madeleine, near the legendary Olympia concert hall, was among those targeted. Its facade bore the slogan: “Raise taxes on the rich.”
Anti-capitalist messages, including “Give back the money,” appeared across the city, particularly on Rue Saint-Honoré, known for its high-end fashion houses and luxury jewelers.
Other slogans read “Revolution” and “Furious environmentalists, more than eco-anxious.” On one shop window that escaped damage, someone had written in red: “Give me a hammer.”
The graffiti and destruction extended through the department-store district on Boulevard Haussmann, the Opéra area and the Grands Boulevards, stretching towards Place de la République, where Saturday’s demonstration began. The square and its surrounding streets were among the worst-hit areas of the capital.
Shops, supermarkets and pharmacies around Place de la République awoke to extensive damage after groups of young people looted businesses on Saturday afternoon and into the night, following the march through Paris.
Windows were smashed with blunt objects or kicked in, premises were emptied and goods scattered across pavements.
The looting began in broad daylight, with several French television channels broadcasting scenes live.
Place de la République and nearby avenues became major flashpoints in the unrest, as clashes continued into the night and businesses faced substantial losses.
One of the first businesses attacked was a supermarket on Rue Beaurepaire, near Boulevard de Magenta and the square.
When its metal shutter was raised, the shelves were found empty, with products either stolen or crushed on the floor.
Similar scenes unfolded in other shops along the street, including a neighboring pharmacy, from which the cash register and computers were taken.
But perhaps the most striking damage was at the nearby La Barrique café-restaurant, which was ravaged by fire.
“Darkness,” read graffiti near the Élysée Palace. EFE
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