Prefecture reports 30,000 looters in Marseille

The prefecture of Bouches-du-Rhône announced on October 17 that there were 30,000 looters in Marseille during demonstrations against the high cost of living. This figure was released in the context of widespread unrest and civil unrest across France, driven by economic pressures and rising living costs.

Prosecutor challenges the looter count

Nicolas Bessone, the prosecutor of the Republic of Marseille, stated on BFMTV on October 22 that he had no comments on the prefecture's figures but estimated the number of looters to be ten times fewer than the reported 30,000. He suggested that in the city center of Marseille, there were around 3,000 looters.

Rioters and looters differ in count

When adding rioters, Bessone indicated that the prefecture's figures of 8,000 rioters seemed consistent. He noted that 30,000 was certainly a certain number of demonstrators but estimated there were around 3,000 looters, which he described as already enormous.

Mayor criticizes the looter estimate

Benoît Payan, the mayor of DVG, had previously considered the prefecture's estimate of 30,000 looters too high. On October 18, he commented on the figure and the claim that thirty stores were broken into in Marseille, calling it "ridiculous" and questioning the logic of 1,000 looters per store.

Minister avoids figure dispute

On October 19, during a visit to Marseille, the Minister of the Interior, Laurent Nuñez, expressed a desire to avoid "a dispute over figures." He acknowledged that the prefect provided an estimate and emphasized that there were certainly several thousand looters, describing the situation as enormous.