IIt was like being in a gangster movie, and everything happened very quickly: Last Saturday, shortly before closing at 9 p.m., two dozen cars suddenly popped up in front of a branch of the Nordstrom department store chain near San Francisco. About 80 people, some of them masked, came out and stormed the shop, some carrying lava or firearms. They immediately began stealing goods, some attacked employees, and one employee was sprinkled with pepper. After some time they ran again with their prey and ran away at high speed. The whole thing didn’t take more than a minute. Police later spoke of a “criminal mob” and a “shameless act” that was clearly planned. She quickly got there and arrested three more people, but the rest fled for now.

The audacity of the mass robbery was shocking, but by no means an isolated incident. The evening before, there was a whole series of lootings around Union Square in the heart of San Francisco. The group of thieves raided about a dozen shops, including branches of luxury chains. louis vuitton and Burberry as well as some cannabis outlets. Witnesses told a local television station that the Louis Vuitton store was later completely evacuated. The San Francisco police chief later said he would do everything possible to stop this “madness.” Among other things, traffic is now being diverted to the doors of some stores to make it more difficult for robbers to drive. California Governor Gavin Newson announced plans to increase the budget to combat shoplifting. The state police force has its own “task force” which is responsible for such crimes.