Micromania worker confronted looters during Nice protests

Pierre, an employee at the Micromania video game store in Nice, tried to prevent looters from entering the premises during protests over the rising cost of living and conditions in schools on Oct. 17.

Footage posted online shows Pierre standing outside the store and later being knocked to the ground as he tried to drive the looters away. He was also struck in the face by objects thrown during the incident. The store was eventually looted.

“​​At one point, I just stood in front to keep people from getting inside. That’s all,” Pierre recalled. He described having difficulty processing the incident and questioned his decision to confront the attackers.

“I can’t quite process what happened. That might come a bit later, once the dust has settled,” he said. “I don’t think I should have done it, honestly. It was foolish. But in the moment, that’s what I did.”

Pierre received dozens of supportive messages on social media after the footage spread. He expressed appreciation for the support and stressed that the looting should not overshadow the reasons for the protests.

“This kind of behavior is the exception, not the rule,” he said. “Throughout the rest of the march, things went quite well. There are a few ‘bad apples,’ but they don’t represent the majority.”

Fifteen businesses were damaged in Nice, and 85 people were taken into police custody, including 40 minors. Other affected businesses included JD Sports, Decathlon and Foot Locker.

A fundraiser for the Micromania store had collected slightly more than €6,000 at the time of writing. The campaign described the manager of the branch on Jean Medecin Avenue as having been attacked while defending the store. It was unclear whether the money would go directly to Pierre or be used to repair the premises.

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