Paris street residents tried to stop rioters as French businesses tally damage from 17 October unrest

Damage on Rue Beaurepaire

Arson, looting and destruction overwhelmed Rue Beaurepaire, a Paris street, during the unrest of 17 October. Some residents pleaded with rioters to stop, while others hid out of fear. Since then the glass, metal fragments and discarded groceries have been swept up, the smoke from fires and tear gas has cleared, and wooden boards have replaced smashed windows.

A resident's account

A 68-year-old resident who has lived on the street for 40 years waited five days before she felt able to leave her apartment for groceries. Young masked men burst into her building's foyer, ripped out the intercom and hammered at the glass of a second door. The glass cracked but held, and she says she trembles at what might have happened had it given way. She rejects the word protest for what took place on her street and calls it a revolt.

The 17 October unrest

Large, peaceful demonstrations across France were overtaken by riots, attacks on government buildings and looting on 17 October. The government admitted failures of security and intelligence, and blamed both far-left insurgents and opportunistic delinquents for the violence. Bloomberg Business has also profiled the protesters, asking who they are and what they want. One protester packed first-aid supplies before leaving home and labelled herself a nurse on white tape.

Business losses

The French Chamber of Commerce and Industry has put the toll at about 2,500 businesses affected across France, with 47 percent of them severely damaged. Some 480 of the affected businesses were in the Paris region, where Rue Beaurepaire is located.

Affected across France2,500

Affected in Paris region480

Affected across France

2500 businesses

Affected in Paris region

480 businesses

Data from the article text