A game-store employee in Nice has drawn widespread attention after trying to protect a damaged Micromania outlet during a weekend of intense protests and rioting in France.
Footage showed Pierre positioned in the shop doorway beside a display featuring Goku from Dragon Ball Z. He briefly moved into the street to push back people involved in the disorder before returning to the entrance. As he walked back, someone nails him with an aerial kick from behind. Pierre fell, then stood up and resumed guarding the doorway after another person returned his glasses.
The incident was captured in a widely shared video on X.
Pierre later told French radio broadcaster ICI that he acted instinctively and now believes confronting the crowd was a poor decision.
“I think I shouldn’t have done it in the first place. It was stupid. But at the time, that’s what I did.”
The unrest has grown since the previous month, driven by anger over inflation, poor school conditions and a proposed government austerity bill that would reduce social services.
About 800,000 people reportedly joined demonstrations over the weekend, while approximately 1,500 shops were vandalised. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez apologised for police being underprepared, and Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu urged cities including Marseille to consider curfews.
Despite the violence, Pierre did not condemn the wider protest movement. He said the rioters represented only a minority of participants, adding that most of the procession had proceeded peacefully.
The damage also reached other French businesses connected to gaming and collectibles. A specialist shop on Paris’s Boulevard Voltaire was allegedly stripped of its retro games, raising questions about whether it could reopen.
Trading-card stores operated by Le Coin des Barons were also affected. One widely circulated report showed Pokémon cards scattered across a street in Lille after the chain’s shop was set alight. The scene can be viewed via one viral video.
The events underline how quickly civil disorder can put specialist retailers, their stock and their staff at risk. For more coverage of the arcade and gaming trade, visit RETROCADE’s Arcade Blog and browse the latest arcade videos.
Approximately 2,000 people were reportedly arrested over the weekend. President Emmanuel Macron said people responsible for destruction and looting would be held accountable, while also promising to meet protesters and consider practical responses to the grievances behind the unrest.
For retailers protecting gaming hardware or collections, RETROCADE’s arcade machine buying guide offers broader advice on planning and choosing a cabinet, while the arcade parts range covers equipment used for repairs and maintenance.
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