A Frenchman became an anime hero after defending a video game store from looters
In Nice, the owner of a Micromania video game store named Pierre became a true internet sensation after he tried to protect his store from looters. The incident occurred on October 17 during mass protests in France. The man’s actions caught the attention of social media users, and he later even became a character in an anime and the subject of numerous memes.
The Micromania owner’s brave act was caught on video. The footage shows Pierre standing in front of the store entrance and trying to keep protesters—who might have been looting—from getting inside.
Eventually, one of the men shoved the store owner in the back, causing him to fall. However, this moment did not go unnoticed and later became one of the most famous scenes in the video.
Pierre later admitted that his actions could have had unpleasant consequences. At the same time, he confessed that he still cannot fully come to terms with what he went through.
“I think I shouldn’t have done that at all. It was stupid. But that’s exactly what I did back then,” he said.
A particular frame caught users’ attention: one in which Pierre is standing near the store’s door, which features an image of a video game character. It was this moment that inspired internet users to create numerous works in which the Frenchman appears as a hero defending his store.
After the video went viral, people began expressing their support for Pierre en masse. French gamers and Reddit users also joined in raising funds to help the man restore his store.
In addition, some supporters created a crypto token—a digital asset—the proceeds from which they plan to use to purchase new games and figurines for the store, as well as to repair the premises.
Other users decided to support Pierre through creativity. Animations and images have appeared online depicting him as a superhero, with other well-known viral characters joining him in defending the store from looters.
Pierre’s story has even inspired creators to produce full-fledged anime. These works have captured the attention of viewers, who are already eagerly awaiting the next chapter in the story of the French shop owner who has become an unexpected internet hero.
In France, more than 2,400 people were detained during mass protests against the deterioration of public services. According to authorities, nearly 1,000 law enforcement officers were injured, and one protester died after suffering a cardiac arrest in Paris.
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu asked some local authorities to impose a curfew following widespread riots, looting, and arson in cities across the country. In Marseille, public gatherings were also banned for most of Monday.
The French government summoned representatives of major online platforms to a meeting regarding listings for goods that may have been stolen during the looting in France last weekend. Authorities want the platforms to promptly remove such listings and cooperate with law enforcement to identify the sellers.
In France, the CGT labor union has called for peaceful protests and strikes on November 3. This comes after several weeks of demonstrations, which culminated on October 17: hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets, and in some places, peaceful protests escalated into riots.
