As demonstrations swept across France on October 17, footage of one video game store manager refusing to back down from a crowd drew widespread attention online.
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As demonstrations swept across France on October 17, footage of one video game store manager refusing to back down from a crowd drew widespread attention online.
Pierre, a manager at a Micromania-Zing branch of GameStop, was filmed standing at the store’s entrance as a group of men appeared to confront him. With a stern expression and his feet planted, he seemed determined to protect the business he was looking after.
The clip quickly went viral, with viewers praising his nerve — and noticing a striking detail behind him.
A Dragon Ball poster featuring Goku hung in the background, prompting people to compare Pierre’s pose to the iconic anime hero.
“Hitting the Goku pose is insane” one person wrote. While another added, “He doesn’t only moderate Discord groups; he also moderates real life”
Pierre’s Standoff With The Crowd Was Caught On Camera
The demonstrations took place amid public anger over the cost of living and conditions in public schools. The supplied report says around 550,000 people took to the streets, while unrest in some areas included looting and property damage.
In the footage, Pierre is seen wearing a black T-shirt and black track pants as he faces several men described as appearing to be in their early 20s.
Social media users initially assumed he owned the store. However, Dexerto later identified him as its manager.
Viewers were struck by his apparent composure as the men approached and tried to intimidate him.
One commenter summed up the reaction with a short phrase, “His aura level is over 9000!!”
But the confrontation took a frightening turn.
Viral Video Shows Pierre Being Knocked To The Ground
According to the report, the footage shows one of the men kicking Pierre in the back, causing him to fall.
A separate clip reportedly showed the store’s interior badly damaged, with debris scattered throughout the premises. The footage suggested that the shop had been entered and ransacked.
The videos prompted an outpouring of sympathy for Pierre and concern over the destruction of the business.
“These looters are truly the bottom of the barrel of humanity” one person wrote.
The images also shifted attention from the viral standoff itself to the practical aftermath; a worker facing the consequences of a shop being damaged during unrest.
Gaming Community Launches Fundraiser For Pierre
In response, Double Pixels, a French gaming and pop-culture community led by content creators Wonder and MattOverTheHedge, launched a crowdfunding campaign on October 18.
The organizers said the fundraiser was intended to support Pierre after the store was destroyed.
“Every donation, no matter the amount, counts,” they wrote on the campaign page.
They also encouraged people who couldn’t contribute money to share the fundraiser, saying that spreading the word could help.
At the time of the supplied report, the campaign had raised about $21,348 (€19,029). The organizers had not announced a specific fundraising target and said the campaign would close on October 20.
Macron Says Those Who Looted Must Face Consequences
French President Emmanuel Macron addressed the unrest in a televised speech on October 18, condemning the violence while distinguishing it from protesters’ grievances.
“We all feel anger and shame,” he said, according to the supplied report.
Macron emphasized that the “legitimate demands” of demonstrators should be separated from the actions of those who destroyed property or looted businesses.
“Those who destroyed must pay. Those who looted must reimburse,” he said.
France’s Interior Ministry reportedly said police had arrested approximately 2,400 people. Macron also indicated that local authorities could ban certain rallies in the days ahead if they deemed it necessary, though he did not announce a state of emergency or curfew.
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