Hundreds have been arrested after Paris broke out into chaotic scenes on Saturday evening after the PSG soccer team won the UEFA Champions League.
Supporters of Paris Saint-Germain and violent opportunists set fires, vandalised shops, and clashed with police on Saturday evening in the French capital following to 5-0 victory Inter Milan in the European Cup.
During the match, PSG supporters were seen carrying banners reading “Stop genocide in Gaza” and “Free Palestine”. The team may face fines as UEFA prohibits political messages from being displayed in stadiums.
At the time of this reporting, at least 294 people have been arrested, however, this total is likely to continue to rise. Around 30 were arrested as a mob forced their way into a Foot Locker store on the Champs-Élysées.
Others were arrested carrying or using makeshift explosive devices. Multiple cars were set on fire, while bus shelters were smashed with hammers, and fire hydrants were destroyed, Le Figaro reports.
Videos shared on social media showed crowds clashing with police as they attempted to restore order in the city.
Condemning the violent scenes, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said: “True PSG fans are getting excited about their team’s magnificent performance. Meanwhile, barbarians have taken to the streets of Paris to commit crimes and provoke law enforcement.
“I have asked the internal security forces to react vigorously to these abuses. I offer my support to the Police Prefect and all the police officers who are ensuring everyone’s safety this evening.
“It is unbearable that it is not possible to party without fearing the savagery of a minority of thugs who respect nothing.”
The president of the populist National Rally party, Jordan Bardella, criticised the government’s failure to prepare properly for chaos following the match, saying: “The security risk of this evening was clearly underestimated, and the response was undersized. Paris is being handed over to the rioters.
“Bruno Retailleau speaks of ‘barbarians’ in the streets of Paris: tonight we have further proof that words, even harsh ones, will never replace action. He will have to explain this fiasco.”
Bardella added: “As with every popular festival, the French capital becomes a playground for thugs. Always the same profiles and always the same state impotence. It is no longer just a serious problem of insecurity: it is the entire image of France that is tarnished in the world.”
In addition to the violence in Paris, four people were injured, two of whom seriously, after a car ploughed into a crowd in Grenoble. The driver has been taken into police custody.
