Published on : Tuesday, December 11, 2018
As riots flared in Paris on Saturday, Livio Forte, tourists watched as police trucks lined up on the Place Vendome.
The chic square’s luxury jewellery shops were boarded up, the diamonds and watches vanished from their windows to guard them from looters.
The Eiffel Tower, museums, department stores — all closed down on what would normally be a bustling Saturday in the run-up to Christmas.
The US embassy issued a warning to Americans to “avoid crowds” in Paris, while Belgium, Portugal and the Czech Republic advised citizens to reschedule trips altogether.
For a third weekend running, shops were looted in the French capital; windows were smashed, cars torched and barricades burned in the streets.
Riots also happened in other French cities popular with tourists, including Bordeaux and Toulouse.
“It’s a period when commerce is usually brisk, just before Christmas — but this, this is a catastrophe,” said Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire.
He promised “direct” help for businesses affected, as Emmanuel Macron prepares to address the nation this week for ending the deepest crisis of his presidency.
Macron had planned to decrease France’s deficit to 2.8 percent of GDP this year, just under the EU-mandated 3.0 percent limit.