Hundreds of people arrested in France after wild Champions League celebrations
Clashes between football fans and police across France have led to more than 400 arrests following Paris Saint-Germain’s (PSG) Champions League final victory over Arsenal.
Thousands of officers have been deployed to curb the unrest which has disrupted bus, train and rail services in the capital Paris.
Fireworks and flares were set off, while several police officers were injured in the melee. Police fired tear gas to disperse the crowds in the city center.
There was similar violence when PSG won the same trophy last year, with celebrations that turn deadly. This time, the authorities were better prepared with a “very robust, very solid system”, according to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez.
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The iconic Champs-Élysées in Paris was invaded by supporters shortly after the French team’s victory on penalties.
Images from the city show flares, e-bikes burning on the roads and revelers smashing the glass of at least one storefront.
Earlier in the day, clashes took place between the police and supporters who came to watch the final on giant screens at PSG’s Parc des Princes.
Police said six vehicles, two businesses and a bus shelter were damaged during the unrest.
According to the authorities. 416 people were arrested in the early hours of Sunday, including 280 people in Paris.
Nuñez said seven police officers were injured and called the unrest “absolutely unacceptable.”
Far-right leader Marine Le Pen wrote on X: “Only in France does a victory by a football club trigger riots.”
“It is only in France that everyone feels obliged to lock themselves in their homes on the evening of a victory to avoid being confronted with violence,” she declared.
The players are scheduled to take part in a victory parade on Sunday afternoon, which includes a tour of the Champ-de-Mars next to the Eiffel Tower and a reception hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron.
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