The Apple store in Bordeaux, France, was robbed and damaged on Saturday night by “yellow vest” protesters during mass street riots, as reported by ABC News. This is the third week the gilets jaunes (yellow vests) have taken to the streets of Paris, as part of a mobilization which began as a reaction against a hike in the country’s gasoline tax.
The tax was recently dropped, but protests have continued as the movement has now shifted to encompass frustrations over pensions, minimum wage, and more.
ABC says around 125,000 people took part in Saturday night’s protest throughout France. In Bordeaux, rioters smashed the Apple store’s windows and rushed inside to grab product off the tables. Several videos have been shared on Twitter, showing looters banging against the store’s fractured glass panes and running in to quickly nab laptops, iPads, and more.
BBC News reports that over 1,200 were taken into custody Saturday night across the country. Locally, France Bleu says that two of those arrested are in direct connection to the Apple store incident — apparently wearing hoodies and puffy jackets didn’t help — and were set to appear before the Bordeaux criminal court today. By Sunday morning, the Bordeaux Apple store was temporarily shut down with doors and windows barricaded.
The extent of the damage is not known, but France Bleu reports that many other stores in the city’s center were also subject to looting. In an address today, French President Emmanuel Macron promised a rise in the minimum wage along with tax concessions in efforts to quell protesters’ anger.
