On October 19, historic jewels estimated at 100 million US dollars were stolen from the Louvre Museum in Paris. At 9:30 a.m., the thieves went in through the Seine-facing side of the museum using a truck with a ladder to reach the second floor. By 9:34, two thieves dressed as construction workers used power tools to cut into a window in the Galerie d’Apollon (Apollo Gallery). They then used the same tools to smash two display cases, stealing jewelry belonging to Emperor Napoleon and his wife.
At 9:37, the museum’s alarms were triggered, alerting the staff. Only one minute later, the thieves had fled the scene of the crime. In their hurried escape, they dropped the crown belonging to Emperor Eugénie on the side of the street. By 10:34, the theft was announced publicly, and within three minutes, the Louvre stated on X that the museum would be closed. It remained closed for the following three days.
Surprisingly, the media didn’t take the heist too seriously. Instead, the robbery became a trend and a subsequent meme. They made jokes about the disaster by creating AI images and stating their approval of the modern-day heist. Some people were even amazed by the fact that it had been done in broad daylight. Others, especially in France, were concerned about the whereabouts of the jewels. Social media users used words such as “chic,” “whimsical,” and “cinematic” to describe the robbery.
Later, on October 25, two men were taken into custody by the French Police. It was reported that they were in their 30s and had a criminal record of jewelry theft. Other than the crown of Emperor Eugénie, the stolen goods have not been recovered, but police reports state that two DNA traces have been found and are under examination. As the investigations continue, the fate of the jewels remains uncertain.
