French woman owner begs rioters not to destroy her shop—they push her aside, ransack it, burn Jewish stores and leave Muslim ones alone

A French business owner was filmed pleading with rioters not to destroy her store as the crowd pushed past her and proceeded to loot and ransack her businesses. The incident came as violence continued across France on Saturday, with multiple locations set ablaze.

Riot police clashed with crowds in Paris as the unrest spread. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said 150 police officers were injured in the riots.

What media outlets have described as demonstrations over education reform and the cost of living has escalated into widespread violence, with rioters attacking businesses and public property. Videos circulating online showed groups of young men, many of whom appear to be of African or Middle Eastern descent and wearing hoods and masks, entering stores and destroying them.

In one video, a French woman desperately pleaded with rioters to leave her business alone as the crowd pushed her aside and looted her store.

French journalist Paul Amar reported that Jewish-owned businesses on a street in Marseille were being set on fire while Muslim-owned stores were not targeted. Amar also alleged that rioters had compiled a list of addresses to identify specific locations for attacks.

“They came prepared. They had the addresses of town halls. They had addresses of Jewish shop owners,” he said.

Another female business owner, an older woman of Chinese descent, reportedly lost her restaurant in Paris after rioters broke into the establishment, assaulted her, and set the business on fire.

The unrest has also resulted in the destruction of the historic Limoges town hall, a 143-year-old landmark that was set on fire on Saturday. The building survived both world wars, but suffered extensive damage this week as flames caused its clock tower to collapse.

“The right to protest is a fundamental right. Deliberately and collectively sowing disorder through violence is not,” Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez wrote on X in response to the chaos.

French President Emmanuel Macron was scheduled to hold an emergency meeting with senior officials before addressing the nation on Sunday.