PARIS – The Louvre remained closed on Monday morning after students blocked access to the Paris musem, as the fallout from a weekend of protests and looting reverberated across the country and retailers warned that damage could run into hundreds of millions of euros.

Around 50 students from the École du Louvre took part in the blockade on Monday morning, which followed a weekend of demonstrations against the cost of living, during which groups of looters took advantage of the protests to target shops and businesses across Paris and other French cities.

The student action was distinct from the looting, which has prompted widespread condemnation from retailers and business groups.

Alexandre Bompard, chief executive officer of Carrefour and president of the Federation of Commerce and Retail (FCD), said the damage could amount to “several hundred million euros” across the retail sector.

“The day of demonstrations taking place across our country has had serious consequences for many businesses,” said Bompard, who condemned the violence.

“I fully understand the concern that these unacceptable acts have caused among all merchants, our employees, and our partners, as well as the heavy economic and financial consequences that have ensued,” he said, writing on LinkedIn. “In these trying circumstances, I wish to express the deep sense of solidarity that unites our sector. Across France, merchants must be able to conduct their business freely and with peace of mind and continue to serve their customers without fear.”

“It is still a little too early to accurately assess the extent of the damage,” Bompard added in an interview on BFMTV, while warning of the significant economic consequences for businesses already facing a difficult trading environment that has been impacted by successive crises as well as lower overall foot traffic as sales move online.

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