Gen Z can’t take the Louvre heist seriously – they think it was ‘so simple’

Thieves nabbed priceless crown jewels from the Louvre in broad daylight and fled on getaway scooters. Now, the Internet can’t get over the ‘cartoonish’ nature of the century’s biggest heist

In a scene straight out of The Pink Panther, ‘priceless’ crown jewels were nicked from the Louvre Museum in broad daylight. But while this has been cited as a travesty for France, there are some details that Gen Z can’t quite take seriously.

For a start, there’s how the robbers entered the building. On Sunday, October 19, at around 9:30am local time, four suspects dressed as construction workers pulled up outside the Louvre with a vehicle-mounted mechanical lift. They then climbed up a ladder (yes, a big mechanical ladder which they set up in broad daylight) to gain access to the Galerie d’Apollon (Gallery of Apollo) via a balcony close to the River Seine.

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Two of the thieves then burgled their way into the building by cutting through the window with power tools. By 9:38am, they’d got back down, and zoomed away on the decisively diva-esque escape vehicle of choice: scooters.

Exact details of the robbery remain unknown, but, according to French media, one in three rooms in the area of the museum raided had no CCTV cameras, and security guards could’ve been threatened. Around 60 investigators are working on the case.

As for what was stolen: according to the authorities, eight items were taken, including diadems (a jewelled headband), necklaces, ear-rings and brooches, all of which belonged to 19th-century French royalty.

The jewels, which contain thousands of diamonds and other precious gemstones, are thought to be “priceless”. They’re also relatively easy to take apart or melt down, meaning that the artefacts may never be seen again.

One of the items, a crown belonging to Empress Eugénie, was found damaged on the escape route, investigators said – apparently having been dropped during the escape.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the heist has inspired an outcry among official figures in France. Macron called the raid “an attack on our history”, National Rally leader Jordan Bardella said it was an “intolerable humiliation” and Marine Le Pen of Front Nationale called it a “wound to the French soul”.

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However, the reaction to the heist has been a slightly different story on social media. Across TikTok, Gen Z are struggling to wrap their heads around how the Louvre could have been robbed so easily.

“I didn’t think these kinds of heists were possible but man I’m lowkey impressed…it seemed so simple too,” one TikToker wrote.

“Guys, never say never. Anything is possible,” another creator chimed in, sharing the news of the robbery. “These motherf**kers actually got away with France’s crown f**king jewels – in broad daylight. I didn’t think this kind of thing happened anymore.”

Others have even compared the simplicity of the heist to a cartoon. “I think the cultural value of a cartoonish jewel heist in which no one got hurt is greater than having them stay safe and sound in the gallery,” one commenter wrote.

Multiple tourists have now started posting videos and pictures of themselves outside the Louvre, either with the jewels edited on them or pretending to show off their “Louvre hauls”.

TikTok users have even been planning their own “Louvre heist” outfits – most of which are black, sparkly and featuring sleek silhouettes. They’ve also been theorising what playlists the suspects were listening to while performing the heist.

Yet another popular trend has sprouted in which they compare the suspects to characters from popular movies and TV shows. Popular references are the cast of ‘Now You See Me’, the hit Spanish series ‘Money Heist’, ‘Ocean’s Eleven’ and ‘Lupin’ – a French show about a world-class gentleman thief.

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