France Arrests Hundreds in Nationwide Rioting Following PSG Champions League Win

French Authorities Detain Over 400 People Following PSG’s Champions League Win

Paris, France - The French Ministry of Interior reported that 416 individuals were detained nationwide following violent clashes in Paris after Paris Saint-Germain’s victory in the Champions League final. In total, 283 people were apprehended in Paris.

The French authorities deployed approximately 22,000 police officers across the country for the game on Saturday, including 8,000 in Paris. Measures were taken to minimize disturbances, with tram lines halted, several metro stations closed, and bus traffic suspended in some areas.

According to the Ministry of Interior, seven police officers were injured during the unrest. The interior minister, Laurent Nunez, described the incidents as “absolutely unacceptable.”

The violence was largely concentrated on Paris’s Champs-Elysees avenue, where about 20,000 people gathered to celebrate the team’s victory. Shops in the area had boarded up their windows ahead of time to avoid similar disturbances from last year.

Police reported that two dozen flares and approximately 100 fireworks were seized during the incident. A bus shelter was also destroyed near the Champs-Elysees. The match took place on a busy evening with other events, including concerts and sports tournaments, also underway in Paris.

The French authorities have stated that they have a robust system in place to prevent violence. The players from PSG will participate in a parade on Sunday afternoon before being received by President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace.

Source: Al Jazeera