CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Rioters loot Lyon jewelry store during protest

LYON, France (CBS, KYMA) - CCTV cameras on Saturday caught the moment a jewelry shop was attacked and looted in Lyon, France, as demonstrations were held across the country over high prices and declining public services that erupted into riots.

Looters smashed the Koumal Jewelry shop's windows before rummaging through drawers, destroying displays and taking items.

Reuters verified the location from the jewelry shop layout, the mirror and display stands seen in the video, which matched archive video of the shop.

The date when the video was recorded was verified by the timestamp on the CCTV video.

Lyon’s City Centre was left with smashed shop windows and graffiti-covered monuments after a weekend of unrest.

The damage followed weeks of student-led demonstrations that culminated in violence and looting in several French cities, marking some of the country's worst unrest in years.

The Federation of Trade and Retail said nearly 3,000 shops were affected nationwide over the weekend, while the government faced criticism over security failings.

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said on Monday he had not ruled out declaring a state of emergency, but said localized curfews remained the preferred response for now.

As investigators continued their work, residents expressed concern about how quickly affected businesses would be able to recover from the destruction.