Apple Closes French Stores Ahead of Further Protests

Seven Apple stores across France are closed on today, as the country prepares for another round of demonstrations a week after looters targeted two of the company’s locations. As first spotted by MacGeneration, the affected stores include all three Paris locations: Champs-Élysées, Opéra, and Marché Saint-Germain. Apple’s website also lists Saturday closures for Bordeaux Sainte-Catherine, Lille, Strasbourg, and Aix-en-Provence.

The closures are likely a precaution to protect employees and stores during the protests. The seven locations have entrances directly onto the street, while Apple’s stores inside shopping malls should operate normally during the period. Apple’s Lille and Bordeaux stores were looted during the unrest on October 17 unrest.

Both were among many businesses targeted across France. The demonstrations concern rising living costs and poor conditions in schools, according to the Associated Press. Hundreds of thousands are said to have protested peacefully on October 17, but violence and looting broke out in several cities.

Following the looting, reports emerged of stolen iPhones displaying warnings that they had been disabled and were being tracked, along with instructions to return them to their stores of origin. A video shared by Le Signal purportedly shows the message.

The three Paris stores, Bordeaux Sainte-Catherine, and Aix-en-Provence list Sunday opening hours of noon to 6 p.m. Apple’s Lille and Strasbourg pages show that those stores will remain closed on Sunday and reopen on Monday.

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