A nighttime video circulating online shows masked people in dark clothing smashing windows and pushing their way into a Louis Vuitton store in France. The caption on the post claims the looters took merchandise as "reparations," but that wording comes from the person who shared the clip and has not been confirmed by anyone else. The footage fits a wave of violence that broke out on Saturday, Oct. 17, when marches over the rising cost of living, education funding and crumbling public services turned into clashes with police, arson and looting. Reports say Louis Vuitton stores were hit in Marseille and Bordeaux, a Dior boutique on Paris's Rue Saint-Honoré was looted, and Hermès and Apple shops were also targeted.

The scale of the unrest has people asking how a protest over everyday money worries ended with luxury stores being stripped. One report says around 550,000 people joined demonstrations across the country and authorities counted more than 1,200 arrests, though those numbers have not been independently confirmed. Yellow Vest activists have reportedly joined students who are blockading schools, which has pushed the protests beyond local grievances and into a wider fight over economic policy. Retailers such as Galeries Lafayette have condemned the destruction and said it put staff and customers in danger. It is still unclear how much was stolen, how many more arrests will follow, and whether the weekend's violence is a one-off or the start of something longer.