Looters rob Bordeaux Apple Store during French 'Yellow Vest' protests

Posted:
in General Discussion edited December 2018
The Bordeaux Apple Store was attacked during protests and riots against the French government across the country, with the store essentially cleaned out by the thieves.




Videos shared on Twitter and YouTube over the weekend show looters gaining access to the Apple Sainte-Catherine store in Bordeaux, dressed in hoodies and other concealing clothing. The thieves grabbed iPhones, iPads, and other goods kept on the display tables before leaving the store and joining the rest of the crowd outside.

The theft coincided with ongoing "yellow vest" protests in the country, taking advantage of the general unrest as an excuse to loot the store, as well as to provide cover at a time when the store would have had a reduced police presence with offers occupied elsewhere. Approximately 125,000 protestors were on the streets on Saturday, reports the BBC, with more than 1,200 people taken into custody.





The protests were originally a stance by groups against rising fuel tax, which the government scrapped following pressure from the public. The movement has since expanded in scope to cover other areas, including taxes in general, the rising cost of living, and changes to the educational system.

Protests have been staged over the last four weekends, and has caused widespread damage to buildings and property in Paris. The situation has reached a state where it has been declared a "catastrophe" for the economy by the French finance minister.

#bordeaux le apple store y passera pic.twitter.com/izc4WEotQu

-- Matre Coq (@GentilTonne)


President Emmanuel Macron is expected to reveal measures to tackle the crisis in a national address today.

While Apple is likely to have been targeted by an opportunistic group of thieves, it is plausible that the attack on the store was fueled by continued calls from critics for Apple to pay its fair share of taxes. In late 2017, activists staged protests in Apple Stores demanding Apple paid back taxes to the Irish government, while a "die-in" from April at two Apple outlets accused the company of exploiting tax loopholes.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 38
    Perhaps this will be the motivation Apple needs to invent transparent aluminum.  Let's see them create the impregnable store. 
  • Reply 2 of 38
    dewmedewme Posts: 5,335member
    Animals. I'm sure Apple is not the only business to be set upon by these low life opportunistic scavenger scumbags. I don't believe this has anything at all to do with Apple or previous grievances with Apple. It's simply a case of vile and disgusting human behavior. The thing is, no matter the cause, once the looting starts the credibility of the protest goes down the toilet. The crowd, i.e., "joining the rest of the crowd outside" should not tolerate such behavior if they really expect their grievances to be heard and taken seriously. 




    kozchrisretrogustoJWSCviclauyyc
  • Reply 3 of 38
    Deplorable! Can’t Apple brick stolen devices and render them useless?
    stevenoz
  • Reply 4 of 38
    spice-boyspice-boy Posts: 1,450member
    "Apple store gets robbed in a country that is not the USA, Appleinsider's readers lose it"

    This is going to set back Apple's profits this quarter big time. Bring back the guillotine! This is would never happen here. etc...
    avon b7
  • Reply 5 of 38
    maccad said:
    Deplorable! Can’t Apple brick stolen devices and render them useless?
    I believe that's the case. Isn't the firmware on display devices different for this very reason? But yeah, I think they'll all be useless.
  • Reply 6 of 38
    French Socialism has created both a sense of entitlement for their people and a sense of unquestionable authority for their government. Now it’s looking like the whole system there has reached the end of the line. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Paris engulfed in flames within a matter of weeks. It’s all out anarchy there.
    tbornotrazorpit
  • Reply 7 of 38
    ”...fueled by continued calls from critics for Apple to pay its fair share of taxes.” That’s about as plausible as saying that the cars that were incinerated around the Champs Élysée were all Volkswagens, targeted as retribution for the emissions scandal! This is France, a truly wonderful country, with the sole exception of a people so ungovernable that they view any attempt at progress (necessary to save their stagnant economy from generations of governments that capitulate and bow to the demands of the mob rather rather than make less popular but necessary decisions) as an act worthy of decapitation...much like their last monarch. I had hope that Macron would stand his ground and convictions, alas precedent reigns!
    randominternetpersonviclauyyc
  • Reply 8 of 38
    Perhaps this will be the motivation Apple needs to invent transparent aluminum.  Let's see them create the impregnable store. 
    Yes we need that to watch how they steal. Have you ever been at gunpoint and no rescue from police as they were busy with other incident or you just fantasizing about unrealistic solution? You know some looter do not give damn about them being seen or recorded. 40% of crime like that is armed and those are stats from around the world - not just from one place. Do you think they wear hoodies and masks for fun? I'd rather have some bullet proof walls and not see them to avoid being accidental witness.
  • Reply 9 of 38
    Confusing, socialist rioters looting a socialist company.

    What this really points out is the wisdom of the British vote to Brexit.
    razorpitSpamSandwichlkrupp
  • Reply 10 of 38
    razorpitrazorpit Posts: 1,796member
    tbornot said:
    Confusing, socialist rioters looting a socialist company.

    What this really points out is the wisdom of the British vote to Brexit.
    Gosh I hope all the Starbuck's are safe...
  • Reply 11 of 38
    tbornot said:
    Confusing, socialist rioters looting a socialist company.

    What this really points out is the wisdom of the British vote to Brexit.
    Tbornot, sounds like you have tb based on what you write. 

    My condolences to your brain. 
    tyler82
  • Reply 12 of 38
    French Socialism has created both a sense of entitlement for their people and a sense of unquestionable authority for their government. Now it’s looking like the whole system there has reached the end of the line. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Paris engulfed in flames within a matter of weeks. It’s all out anarchy there.
    1) Why do you feel compelled to talk about subjects you clearly know absolutely nothing about? 2) What makes you believe the U.S. is faring any better? The economy is circling the drain, the stock market lost two years of gains, and the foreign debt is skyrocketing.
    tyler82
  • Reply 13 of 38
    hentaiboyhentaiboy Posts: 1,252member
    I wouldn’t be surprised to see Paris engulfed in flames within a matter of weeks.
    No Christmas truce?🎄 
  • Reply 14 of 38
    kikkod said:
    ”...fueled by continued calls from critics for Apple to pay its fair share of taxes.” That’s about as plausible as saying that the cars that were incinerated around the Champs Élysée were all Volkswagens, targeted as retribution for the emissions scandal! This is France, a truly wonderful country, with the sole exception of a people so ungovernable that they view any attempt at progress (necessary to save their stagnant economy from generations of governments that capitulate and bow to the demands of the mob rather rather than make less popular but necessary decisions) as an act worthy of decapitation...much like their last monarch. I had hope that Macron would stand his ground and convictions, alas precedent reigns!
    So you're saying the people need a dictator who will force them to do things they don't want to do? Doesn't sound like a democratic, free country and government.
  • Reply 15 of 38
    hentaiboy said:
    I wouldn’t be surprised to see Paris engulfed in flames within a matter of weeks.
    No Christmas truce?🎄 
    Possibly. The French are known for giving up pretty easily.
    viclauyyc
  • Reply 16 of 38
    French Socialism has created both a sense of entitlement for their people and a sense of unquestionable authority for their government. Now it’s looking like the whole system there has reached the end of the line. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Paris engulfed in flames within a matter of weeks. It’s all out anarchy there.
    1) Why do you feel compelled to talk about subjects you clearly know absolutely nothing about? 2) What makes you believe the U.S. is faring any better? The economy is circling the drain, the stock market lost two years of gains, and the foreign debt is skyrocketing.
    Says the guy who knows nothing about the US. LOL! Have a good one.
  • Reply 17 of 38
    JWSCJWSC Posts: 1,203member
    hentaiboy said:
    I wouldn’t be surprised to see Paris engulfed in flames within a matter of weeks.
    No Christmas truce?🎄 
    Possibly. The French are known for giving up pretty easily.
    Ouch!
    SpamSandwich
  • Reply 18 of 38
    JWSCJWSC Posts: 1,203member
    kikkod said:
    This is France, a truly wonderful country, with the sole exception of a people so ungovernable that they view any attempt at progress (necessary to save their stagnant economy from generations of governments that capitulate and bow to the demands of the mob rather rather than make less popular but necessary decisions) ...
    That’s why they call them ‘Les Misérables.’

    Although in all fairness, the US isn’t that much better on the governance scale.
    edited December 2018
  • Reply 19 of 38
    Perhaps this will be the motivation Apple needs to invent transparent aluminum.  Let's see them create the impregnable store. 
    Transparent aluminum already exists, it's called sapphire ;)
    randominternetperson
  • Reply 20 of 38
    maccad said:
    Deplorable! Can’t Apple brick stolen devices and render them useless?
    My sister works at a major Apple Store and deals with theft daily. Yes if someone makes it out of the store with an Apple device, they just immediately remotely brick it. Not that I think these people cared much. As you saw in the video, the last person just punched a TV for no reason, when they theoretically could have stolen it, assuming they wanted to carry it home at least.
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