Just like the ENDSARS protest that took place in Nigeria in 2020, some luxury stores in France have suffered losses from ongoing protests over the rising costs of living.

On Sunday, a post from Loo Ateides on X shared a 58-second video montage of riot damage in Paris, the capital city of France showing smashed windows at luxury stores like Christian Dior, Bvlgari, and Louis Vuitton, looted interiors, a burnt-out car, graffiti-covered Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) and debris piles near Châtelet after October 17 events.

It referenced nationwide protests against rising costs of living that drew 550,000–800,000 demonstrators, which devolved into clashes, vehicle fires, and widespread looting across Paris, Marseille, and other cities, resulting in about 1,800 arrests.

The sarcastic “Happy Sunday from Paris with LOVE” caption with French greeting and #Pillages #emeutes hashtags underscores the contrast between normalcy and the chaos of the previous day’s unrest.

Another post from @liz_churchill10 shared images of the looted Hermès boutique in Marseille, showing streets littered with orange boxes, wrapping paper, and debris alongside display shelves of colorful Birkin bags.

It documented events from Sunday, October 17, 2026, when cost-of-living protests across France turned violent, with looters targeting luxury stores like Hermès, Louis Vuitton, and Rolex in Marseille and other cities including Paris, Bordeaux, and Lille.

French authorities reported around 1,800 arrests and 150 police injuries as opportunistic vandalism overshadowed demonstrations over living costs, education, and public services.

Reacting to the protests via a post on his official X account, French President, Emmanuel Macron said: “No room for violence in our Republic.

“Those who have broken, attacked the prefectures as well as businesses, looted even our town halls, will be prosecuted and punished.

“To the law enforcement forces, guarantors of the right to demonstrate, I express the support of the Nation.

“We will all stand united against the sowers of chaos, who seek only to bring down our institutions and prevent those who peacefully express their demands from doing so.”

Back in Nigeria in 2020, the EndSARS protest began as a youth-led movement against police brutality and extrajudicial killings, evolving into a broader demand for better conditions of living.