Women with pushchairs were shopping while, barely 100 metres away, looters targeted another store. For Nice-based photographer Marc Lapolla, who has covered numerous demonstrations in the city, Saturday 17th October brought scenes unlike anything he had witnessed before.

“It was the first time I had found myself at an event of this gravity,” he told Monaco Life. “I have covered many demonstrations in Nice, but never anything like this.” Caught in clouds of tear gas three times, he was particularly struck by the unsettling proximity of everyday life, peaceful protest and violence along Avenue Jean Médecin.

“Women with pushchairs were doing their shopping at Monoprix on Avenue Jean Médecin while, 100 metres further up, looters were ransacking JD Sports,” he recalled. Outside the ICONIC building, he described a dense crowd singing, dancing and chanting anti-Macron slogans as, across the avenue, people looted Decathlon and immediately sold on the stolen goods. In his assessment, police numbers were insufficient to contain the crowd.

What troubled Lapolla most was seeing bystanders, ordinary demonstrators and masked rioters sharing the same space, some watching while others acted. His photographs accompany a conflicted account: support for people’s right to express concern about political decisions, alongside dismay at the destruction. “The official demonstration itself was a real success,” he said. “I am, however, appalled by the recklessness, naivety and lack of awareness of the rioters.”

Photos: Marc Lapolla

See also: 

17 October protest in Nice: violence, looting and questions over how the city lost control

Monaco Life is written by qualified journalists, writing original content. Sign up for our free newsletter, listen to our podcasts on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook,  Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok.