On Oct. 19 the Louvre – the famous Parisian art museum which houses the Mona Lisa – was robbed. The heist took place at roughly 9:30 a.m. in the morning shortly after the museum opened that day to the public. The robbers used a mechanical lift and power tools to break into the Galerie d’Apollon (Gallery of Apollo) through the balcony. French police say that the thieves were in and out of the museum by 9:38 a.m., escaping on electric scooters while carrying thousands of dollars of priceless jewels.
Authorities claim that the thieves took eight items. These items being the tiara and brooch of Empress Eugénie (wife of Napoleon III), an emerald necklace and a pair of earrings that belonged to Empress Marie Louise, a sapphire set of a tiara, necklace and a single earring belonging to Queen Marie-Amelie and Queen Hortense and a brooch. Of these eight items, the crown of Empress Eugénie was recovered damaged after being dropped by the robbers on their escape route.
The Louvre was closed until the following Wednesday while officials figured out their next step. Considering that the thieves took jewels, reselling and gaining money from the robbery will be a simple process. It was only a matter of time before the robbers melted down the precious metal and recut the jewels to sell them. After scrambling to figure out what to do next, the French police and detectives located the thieves. However, social media was disappointing.
Considering that the most famous museum with the highest security was robbed, it wasn’t long until social media was made aware of this endeavor. Users on TikTok were amused by this whole ordeal. Many are claiming to be “honored” to be living in a world where heists still exist. To social media, this heist was a “blessing.”
People are mocking the robbery by editing the stolen jewels on photos of themselves after posting “a day of my life in Paris.” Many are also posting parodies of the robbers as if they were going “live” after the robbery or even making “hauls.”
TikTok user “nukisss” even posted a TikTok that stated, “Thank God for the burglary at the Louvre, it lets us know that people are still putting together rag-tag crews and planning heists, there is still whimsy in the world and that is so cute.” Social media is claiming this to be the “heist of the century.”
People are calling the heist “refreshing.” In a world full of crypto scams and AI, users say we should take inspiration from these thieves. Social media users have even been posting about their disappointment after the robbers were found. With this overwhelming support of the public, it’s hard to tell what the outcome of the future will be. Will there be an influx in thievery, or will social media users actually be getting the hauls and livestreams they request?
