Pierre, the manager of a Micromania video game store in Nice, has become an unlikely symbol of resistance among shopkeepers targeted by looters — and he is now warning the public against fraudulent fundraising campaigns launched in his name.
Manager Says He Was Never Contacted
In a message posted on Instagram, Pierre urged supporters to be wary of donation appeals circulating online. “No one has contacted me about this kind of thing. I have no connection to anyone. The fundraisers are not mine,” he said. “Don’t let yourselves be fooled.”
The warning follows the viral spread of footage filmed on Saturday, October 17, showing the manager attempting to block looters from entering his store on Avenue Jean-Médecin, a busy shopping street in the city center. In the video, he is struck in the back by a violent kick from a masked man.
A Reluctant Symbol
Speaking to several media outlets on Sunday, Pierre downplayed his role. “I don’t feel like I faced anyone down. I was just there,” he told France 3 Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. To ICI Azur, he explained: “At one point I stood in front of the entrance to stop people from getting in, that’s all.”
He was struck by projectiles during the incident but said his injuries were minor. “A few scrapes, it’s fine,” he told the Instagram account of a Nice radio host. Asked whether he regretted intervening, he was candid: “I think I shouldn’t have done it. It was a foolish thing to do. But in the moment, that’s what I did.”
Since the footage circulated, the video game enthusiast — recognizable by his brightly colored T-shirt — has received hundreds of messages of support on social media, and local media reported he was applauded by passersby on Sunday.
Looters a Minority, Manager Says
Despite the attack, Pierre declined to condemn the broader movement against the high cost of living that accompanied the October 17 demonstrations. “We shouldn’t forget that this behavior is a minority,” he told ICI Azur. “The rest of the procession went rather well. There are a few bad apples, but they are not the majority.”
According to a tally released Saturday evening by the Alpes-Maritimes prefecture, around 40 people were arrested in Nice for looting, damage to public property, and throwing projectiles at police.
