Abstract:
Protests in many French cities turned into looting and vandalism in some places, affecting e-sports venues and many game stores. Related events are currently mainly described based on videos and posts circulated on social platforms.
Paris esports venues were ransacked, with a trophy won by Team Vitality in a Counter-Strike event allegedly stolen, and multiple professional gaming computers taken away. The circulating video appears to show someone dismantling related equipment on the street.
A Micromania game store in Nice was also besieged. Video shows the shop owner trying to protect his shop before being surrounded by a crowd, pelted with rocks and attacked from behind. A games store in Marseille was also reported to have been vandalized.
Sat Elite, an independent collectibles and games store on Avenue Voltaire, was also damaged. The store's inventory includes old games, second-hand consoles and Japanese special edition products. The author of the post is worried that the rare inventory accumulated over the years will be lost, which may lead to the store closing. Additionally, a large number of Pokémon cards are said to be scattered on the streets of Lille. French authorities estimate that between 500,000 and 800,000 people participated in protests across the country.
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