Police in Paris detained hundreds of people on Saturday after Paris Saint-Germain fans went on a rampage in the French capital on the night of the club’s Champions League final win against Arsenal.
The Champions League final was a thrilling match, with PSG beating Arsenal 4–3 on penalties in Budapest.
What do we know so far?
The French Interior Ministry said at least 326 people were arrested across the country. About 235 of them were detained in Paris.
Riots reportedly had already begun after Arsenal took the lead against PSG on penalties. About 20,000 people flooded Paris’s prestigious Champs-Élysées avenue; Some fans set off fireworks and lit lamps.
According to French police, several hundred fireworks, including flares, were confiscated.
A bakery and restaurant near PSG’s home ground, the Parc des Princes stadium, were damaged, police said. More than 1,000 people had gathered there and the rioters had made barricades with bicycles.
The main ring road around Paris, commonly known as peripheralThe crowd had created a traffic jam for some time before the police intervened.
Police hope to prevent a repeat of last year’s deadly unrest
22,000 policemen were present on the spot in the French capital to maintain order.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez highlighted a “very strong, very solid system” to deal with instability.
Meanwhile, French far-right MP and former presidential candidate Marine Le Pen said, “Only in France does a football club win provoke riots. Only in France does everyone feel forced to lock themselves in their homes on the night of victory to avoid facing violence.”
Le Pen is banned from holding political office and running for president again due to embezzlement allegations. She is trying to reverse last year’s decision and run as a presidential candidate again in the 2027 race.
Last year, more than 500 people were arrested across France and two died during celebrations after PSG’s Champions League victory over Inter Milan.
Edited by: Shawn Sinico