A Brit has been left ‘heartbroken’ after her family business was ‘destroyed’ by ‘hundreds’ of Paris rioters.
Lily Mackie-Maynard woke up to the devastating news that her family’s shop had been caught up in chaos that has engulfed the French capital.
The 27-year-old shared how the entire front of the business had been smashed through, with the interior gutted by rioters.
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Nervous employees fearing the worst arrived at the shop in Paris and stepped over shattered glass to find their place of work destroyed.
“What has struck me most is the impact on our team,” Lily, from London, told Need To Know.
“Things can be repaired, but it has been a difficult time for the people who work there.
“They turned up to find the place they work every day damaged, and that’s upsetting.
“Many of them have been shaken by it.
“It’s heartbreaking to see.”
Lily’s family-run Yess Electrical has three branches in Paris – but unfortunately one of them in the city centre was heavily damaged during the riots.
Located on Quai de Valmy, the shop was caught up in the chaos which took place over the weekend (16 to 18 Oct).
The staff discovered the mass damage on Monday morning (19 Oct).
Lily, a criminologist who runs her own business, ZAHN, a community safety app, has been sharing the story to shed light on how violent behaviour can spread in a group.
She said: “One thing I have found really interesting about this situation is how quickly violent behaviour can gain momentum.
“Almost like a very small group of people start acting violently and then suddenly this is acceptable behaviour.
“Community safety has become a complete afterthought in so many communities across Europe.
“I think a lot of these people who are trying to have their say in Paris are completely missing the point.
“Protesting is something, but rioting is something completely different.
“This violence isn’t just affecting businesses themselves but affecting all the people who work within them.
“The people who live nearby and now the hundreds and hundreds of people who will feel unsafe walking around these areas.
“Because the truth is when people start to feel unsafe in their communities this has consequences far beyond one night of violence.”
The business is now in the process of recovering, with staff working tirelessly to get the shop back up and running.
Lily added: “They have worked tirelessly to get the branch back up and running, and we are so grateful to every one of them.
“The way our team pulled together says everything.
“That’s why I believe community safety needs to make a comeback.
“Seeing what happened made me more determined about what I’m building.
“I’m the founder of ZAHN, a community-driven safety app built on the idea that people are safer when they look out for each other.
“Users can share their live location with trusted friends and family in private groups called Bubbles, check in when they get home safely, and report incidents in real time so others nearby are aware.
“Our tagline is ‘Safety, powered by people’, and moments like this show why that matters.”
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