French businesses affected by looting

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu reported on October 19 that at least 3,000 businesses were affected by looting and vandalism during a mobilization on October 17. The damage is estimated in the "hundreds of millions of euros," according to Alexandre Bompard, president of the Federation of Commerce and Distribution (FCD), though no exact figures have been released.

Stolen goods appear online

Less than 48 hours after the looting, some stolen items reportedly appeared on online resale platforms like Vinted, Leboncoin, and eBay, according to several media outlets. The French government has asked these platforms to remove the listings that feature the stolen goods.

Claims of street sales in France

Some internet users have posted videos claiming that stolen goods from looted stores are being sold on the streets of France. One user wrote that "the streets of France have turned into a market for all kinds of items [...] stolen from looted stores," according to a link. However, the video said to support these claims was not filmed in France and had appeared online before October 17.

Video filmed in Spain

The video, supposedly showing resellers on public streets, was shot at night and shows two types of merchandise—football jerseys and handbags—covered with white sheets. A closer look reveals that it was filmed in Spain, not France. Evidence includes a "Farmacia" sign above a pharmacy and a metro station named "Gran Via."

Video predates French looting

According to Spanish media Maldita.es, the video was already online as early as October 12, five days before the Paris mobilization marked by looting. The person who posted the video commented on the illegal activities of street vendors in Madrid, without mentioning France or looting. The clip was filmed in Madrid at least five days before the start of the urban violence.

Video spreads widely with false claims

Analyses by Maldita.es show that the video, which included false allegations, had accumulated 1.2 million views on X, 1.1 million on Meta's social networks, and 200,000 on TikTok by October 21, 2026. It was shared in at least 16 languages and by pro-Russian media and other outlets close to certain governments.