Paris luxury shops board up ahead of new protests

Luxury shops in Paris have boarded up their windows ahead of new protests planned for Saturday, after shops across France were damaged and looted during demonstrations last weekend.

The demonstrations have been called by students, trade unions and other groups. Some Paris outlets, including shops selling Rolex watches, De Beers diamonds, Adidas sportswear and Hugo Boss fashion, have put up wooden boards. Many shops are closed for the day, while others have hired extra security.

The report by ANP and Reuters said security had also been increased at LVMH, the parent company of Louis Vuitton, as well as at Hermès and Paris department store Printemps.

Last weekend, shops were looted in cities including Marseille, Lyon, Bordeaux and Nantes. France’s retail trade organisation said thousands of shops nationwide were damaged, with windows smashed and goods destroyed or stolen. Dutch chains HEMA, Zeeman and Rituals were also affected.

The precautions reflect the scale of the reported damage, but the protests planned for Saturday had not yet taken place at the time of the report.