Milan: fear persists – many shops in the city centre have closed early. France: stolen goods are being sold online
Shops will be closed on Monday 19th from 2 pm. Meanwhile, the goods looted by the French ‘casseurs’ can be bought on online platforms
Following the devastation caused by the last weekend in the city of Milan, today – Monday 19 October – many luxury shops have pulled down their shutters early for fear of further unrest. From 2 pm, several brands on Via Montenapoleone closed, including Chanel, Hermès and Pomellato. Goyard put up a sign informing customers that ‘due to the demonstrations, we will remain closed’. A police van was also present at the entrance from Via Manzoni. Another armoured vehicle is stationed in San Babila.
It appears that a WhatsApp group has been set up amongst shopkeepers to discuss what to do: ‘There are only a few of us still open, but we’re ready to lock up the moment we sense anything unsafe,’ say some of the shop assistants at Intimissimi.
On sale on Vinted on 17 October
‘I’ve got everything thanks to 17 October’, ‘Selling a jumper stolen during the 17 October demonstration’: the ‘casseurs’ – a French term referring to those responsible for acts of vandalism on the fringes of a demonstration – are reselling the items, looted during the protests, on platforms such as Vinted and Leboncoin. Videos are circulating on TikTok that ironically document these listings, encouraging people to take advantage of them to snap up ‘bargains’. Items range from luxury brand cosmetics and overflowing Sephora bags to trainers and designer clothes – with boutiques such as Louis Vuitton, Burberry and Celine, amongst others, having been targeted. All items are sold in ‘excellent condition’, often at rock-bottom prices.
Vinted France has stated that it has taken ‘immediate action to identify and remove listings linked to the looting’, and that it is monitoring suspicious listings. It is not always possible to verify that the items actually originate from the weekend’s acts of vandalism, and this complicates the process. The sale of stolen goods is prohibited under the sites’ terms and conditions and may constitute the offence of handling stolen goods, which is punishable in France by up to five years’ imprisonment and a fine of 375,000 euros. And it is not only sellers who risk criminal penalties, but also buyers who knowingly purchase goods of illicit origin.
