Shops Looted and Police Attacked as Unrest Hits France, Belgium and Spain

Attacks on businesses, burning barricades and road blockades brought police into confrontations across several cities, while rival political groups also took to the streets.

Looters ransacked shops in Barcelona and Marseille, rioters threw projectiles at police in French cities, and street confrontations broke out in Brussels. Businesses faced break ins and damaged storefronts as officers used water cannons, tear gas and arrests to disperse violent groups.

The accompanying video compilation brings together scenes of looting, attacks on police, barricades and demonstrations in France, Belgium and Spain. The incidents range from attempts to breach police lines to groups targeting individual stores.

France: Shopping carts pushed against police lines

In Montpellier, rioters used shopping carts to build improvised barricades and pushed toward a police cordon. Officers held the line, repelled the attempt and detained several people.

Police in Nantes deployed water cannons against rioters. In Lyon, rocks and bricks were thrown at police vans, while in Lille an officer was struck by a stone. Elsewhere in France, riot police arrested a man carrying glass bottles.

The confrontations extended to commercial premises. Looters tried to break into an Audi showroom in Paris, while a grocery store was attacked in another French city.

In Marseille, burning rubbish bins obstructed roads as rioters hurled rocks and bottles at security forces. Police said several businesses were ransacked, including two jewellery stores.

Road blockades also disrupted traffic near Chambéry, where protesters occupied highways.

The threat to shops had already shaped the French security response. Ahead of the October 24 demonstrations, the Interior Ministry instructed prefects to examine routes with particular attention to businesses exposed to looting. Its orders also called for checks at railway stations and on transport routes to intercept objects that could be used as weapons.

Belgium: Barricades in Brussels, blocked roads near Liège

In Brussels, protesters assembled street barricades during confrontations with police. Road signs and other objects were piled onto rental scooters and bicycles, and members of the crowd attempted to set the pile alight.

Officers used tear gas and pepper spray. Brussels police recorded detentions for public order disturbances, possession of prohibited weapons and incitement to rioting, while saying the afternoon ended without major incidents.

Near Liège, protesters blocked access to the A602 toward Brussels for several dozen minutes. The obstruction brought the disruption onto a major road before the march later dispersed.

Political groups take to the streets

Alongside the clashes and looting, political demonstrations drew crowds into several French cities.

In Orléans, opponents of Marine Le Pen and her National Rally party marched as the party held its congress. Palestinian flags were carried among the crowd. The demonstration itself passed peacefully, with thousands attending.

Far-right activists marched in Nice and Lyon against violence and looting. In Tours, rival groups confronted one another, while far right activists also took to the streets in Spain.

These mobilizations unfolded alongside the police operations and attacks on businesses, adding further gatherings for authorities to manage.

Barcelona: Sportswear and computer stores targeted

In Barcelona, repeated attacks on shops brought the unrest into commercial streets. Looters targeted a sportswear store and raided a computer shop, while other groups damaged public property.

Around Plaça de Catalunya, shop windows were broken, bus shelters and street furniture were damaged, and motorcycles and bicycles were overturned or burned in improvised barricades. Police vans surrounded the square as officers gradually dispersed the remaining groups.

One confrontation involved a man filming a store robbery. Police detained a suspect who had tried to take the filmer’s phone.

In Mallorca, a separate police operation against street vendors led to a confrontation during enforcement action.

Another attempted break-in targeted a Foot Locker store in Spain. Several people joined hands and pulled at the metal shutters, trying to force their way into the shop.