Protests in France: Haunted by the October 17 Looting, Shops Barricade Themselves

Ahead of protests scheduled for October 24, 2026, shops in Paris, including luxury boutiques, are boarding up their storefronts with wooden planks, metal sheets and security grilles. Precautions are being taken in several areas, from the Champs-Élysées to Place Vendôme and Opéra. Shopkeepers fear further looting after the violence of October 17, when at least 3,000 businesses were looted and damage was estimated at several hundred million euros.