French rioters target Louis Vuitton, Hermes and Apple stores as lux brands hire their own guards

French protests over the education and the cost of living have turned into widespread looting of major luxury stores — with rioters hitting Louis Vuitton, Hermes, and Apple.Some designer brands, such as Dior, have reportedly hired private security teams to protect their stores in Paris after French police appeared to lose control of the streets of the capital.More than 1,800 people have been arrested and President Emmanuel Macron addressed the nation, vowing to track down the looters who are trying to “bring down the Republic.”Mobs looted the Galeries Lafayette — a luxury department store in Paris akin to Bergdorf Goodman or Harrods — with gangs of masked thugs seen smashing storefronts and raiding shelves on Saturday.A picture showing a robust private security crew hired to protect a flagship Dior store in Paris went viral online.

In Marseille, looters targeted luxury brand Hermes, as well as stores selling jewelry, makeup and clothes.Fire crews in the city said they had to put out a blaze that began in a designer shoe store.In Bordeaux, a masked crowd was seen breaking down the doors to a Louis Vuitton store, as a parade of protesters waved red flags with hammer and sickle signs along the street.In Lille, an Apple store was vandalized and looted, while in Nice, sportswear outlets and a motorcycle dealership were stormed.Unrest broke out in France several weeks ago ostensibly as a student protest, but quickly devolved into an orgy of looting and riots.Many other groups, including leftists and pro-Palestinian fanatics, have also used the riots as an excuse to force their agendas.Some 1,800 people were arrested on Saturday nationwide, while more than 500 cops were injured.Rioters have also targeted France’s cultural heritage, with thugs torching the 140-year-old city hall in the southern city of Limoges, while Lyon’s tourist office was also set on fire.Addressing the nation on Sunday, French President Macron said that “nothing justifies” the violen...