Following the victory of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) over Arsenal in the Champions League final, France has been engulfed by a wave of violence. Clashes between football fans and police have resulted in 219 injuries across the country. Among these, eight individuals are reported to be in a serious condition according to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez.
The unrest disrupted bus, train and rail services throughout Paris. A total of 57 officers were injured amidst efforts to curb violence. Nuñez revealed that 780 people had been arrested due to their involvement in violent activities with more than 450 currently held under custody.
In an unfortunate incident on Paris's ring road which rioters attempted to block overnight, one person was found dead following an accident. The circumstances surrounding this incident remain unclear with some witnesses claiming that he crashed into concrete blocks while riding a motorcycle. A teenager is also reported to be in critical condition after being involved in a brawl at another location within Paris. It remains uncertain whether they were partaking in football-related rioting.
Security measures for victory parade
In anticipation of Sunday's victory parade, approximately 6,000 police officers were mobilized for maintaining order during celebrations. Despite previous incidents of violence and disruption caused by jubilant fans celebrating PSG's win over Arsenal, scenes around Eiffel Tower appeared peaceful as the parade commenced at around 18:00 local time (17:00 BST).
The celebrations included touring Champ-de-Mars adjacent to Eiffel Tower followed by a reception hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron. Earlier statements from Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez indicated that security forces would respond firmly against any form of violence during these celebrations stating "We are a great country for maintaining public order. We allow freedom of assembly, but not excesses."
This is not the first instance of violence following PSG's victory in the Champions League. Celebrations turned deadly last year as well, prompting authorities to deploy thousands of officers this time around to prevent similar incidents.
The Champs-Élysées was flooded with fans shortly after PSG's win in a penalty shootout. Footage from the scene showed flares being set off, electric bikes burning on roads and revellers smashing shopfront glass. Police had to resort to firing tear gas in order to disperse crowds within the city centre. Paris police made 480 arrests during these riots with 277 individuals taken into custody including 82 minors. The Paris prosecutor's office stated that these figures were provisional and offences ranged from attacks on officers and property, thefts, as well as illegal possession of weapons.
