On Saturday, more than half a million French residents protested across the country. They expressed unhappiness with rising living costs, failing public services, and excessive military spending. “Eat the Rich” was seen scribbled on walls, but for the most part, the protests were peaceful and in good faith. Until they weren’t.
Protests turned violent, and the BBC reported that 1,500 shops and businesses were looted and destroyed, and at least 1,200 people were arrested as scenes of chaos unfolded.
While many of the businesses destroyed were premium brands, including Apple, Ralph Lauren, Gucci, and Versace, some were not. Since the protests, reports have surfaced online that Pokemon TCG and video game stores fell victim to looting, with scenes of despair and heroism on display.
Pokemon Cards Scattered And A Video Game Store Owner Stand Defiant In France Protests
Over the last 24 hours, scenes on social media have surfaced showing the devastation the French protests caused to local businesses. As night fell over cities like Paris, Lille, and Nice, protests turned to riots and looting, and many regular store owners paid the price.
One video, shared by L’infoduNord on Twitter, showed a street littered with hundreds of Pokemon cards. It followed a fire at a TCG store called Le Coin Des Barons. The store stocks Yu-Gi-Oh!, One Piece, Riftbound, and Pokemon, and sells products from the extremely popular 30th Anniversary expansion through its website.
Another photo shared on Instagram shows a store owner in Nice standing defiantly at the front of his establishment, next to a poster of Goku, with glass shattered all around him. The unnamed man has gained notoriety on social media.
A second video shows the man taking a flykick to the back as he returned to his store.
What started peacefully turned extremely ugly, with regular citizens paying the price. It’s been reported that France’s justice minister blamed the riots on a “failure” of the country’s security services, including the police, riot officers, and other authorities. France’s Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez tried to resign after the protests, but President Emmanuel Macron declined, saying he needed his leadership.
- Original Release Date
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October 20, 1996
- Player Count
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2
- Age Recommendation
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6+
- Length per Game
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Variable
- Franchise Name
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Pokemon
