Looters on the Champs-Élysées Mar World Cup Celebrations in France
THE BLUES: France’s World Cup win wasn’t cause for celebration all round. With up to a million people flooding the Avenue des Champs-Élysées following France’s 4-2 win over Croatia in Moscow on Sunday, Publicis Drugstore, an iconic complex of eateries and shops located at the top of the avenue, was looted and vandalized. Riot police used water canons and tear gas to disperse the mob, according to local reports. The store was closed at the time.
On Monday morning, a Publicis Drugstore employee who preferred to remain anonymous described the scene as “complete carnage.”
“They broke the windows using rocks and other objects. An enormous amount of merchandise was wrecked or stolen,” she said, adding that the store would remain closed for at least a day.
With the French national team – Les Bleus – due to parade on the avenue at 5 p.m. local time today, before heading to the Élysée Palace to meet with President Emmanuel Macron, retailers are girding themselves. A director at Gap’s Champs-Élysées flagship, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said he had received a message from police advising stores and cafes on the avenue to close early, with up to 500,000 people expected to attend the parade.
A client representative at the Louis Vuitton store said it would be closing at 3 p.m. today. A spokesman for Nike said their Champs-Élysées store is closed today “for safety reasons.” The brand’s two-star football shirt is yet to go on sale, though Simon Porte Jacquemus previewed one during his takeover of Vogue Hommes’ Instagram page during the match. The sportswear giant outfitted both of the teams in the final. (Adidas designed the ball.)
Subway stations on the avenue and in the surrounding area were closed at noon. Some 2,000 members of the police and security forces have been deployed to the area, according to local reports.
Meanwhile, Natalia Vodianova, who wore a gold Vuitton dress to present the 2018 FIFA World Cup Winner’s Trophy – housed in a travel case designed by the leather goods giant – took over Vogue Paris’ Instagram stories account live from the final. On her own Instagram page, the Russian supermodel also posted a photo of herself locked in a jubilant embrace with partner Antoine Arnault at the Luzhniki stadium in Moscow.
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