France's luxury stores board up windows ahead of fresh protests

Paris witnessed luxury boutiques boarding up their windows and increasing security measures ahead of upcoming protests on Saturday. Some stores are planning to remain closed for the day, following a series of riots last weekend that saw shops across the country being looted. France, the world's most visited country, attracts numerous international tourists in search of high-end brands like Chanel and Hermes, making retail a crucial source of revenue for these companies.

However, some luxury store owners decided that the risk was too great after the events of last week, as rioters smashed and looted hundreds of shops in Paris, Marseille, and Bordeaux. Among the affected stores were a Rolex retailer and a De Beers store near Paris' iconic Place Vendome, which will stay shut on Saturday. Other retailers, such as those in the Richemont group including IWC, are still deliberating whether to close early based on the intensity of the planned protests.

The demonstrations are set to take place in central Paris later on Saturday, organized by various groups, including France's main student union UNEF and the Yellow Vest movement, which has been a significant anti-establishment force since 2018.