Celebrations and Clashes After PSG’s Champions League Victory

In a chaotic night across Paris and other French cities, 780 individuals were detained following violent clashes that erupted after Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) clinched the Champions League title. According to French authorities, these incidents occurred on Saturday night.

Details of the Clashes

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez stated that 57 officers sustained injuries, with most being minor, as fans engaged in setting fires and vandalizing shops. A particularly aggressive group attempted to storm a police station in Paris. By Sunday, Nuñez reported that the situation had been largely controlled.

While numerous celebrations remained peaceful throughout Paris, most disturbances were concentrated in the Champs Elysees area and near the Parc des Princes stadium. These locations had drawn fans who gathered to watch the decisive match.

Police Interventions

Police took action five times overnight to prevent traffic disruptions on Paris’s main ring road. Nuñez detailed that disturbances occurred in about 15 cities across France. While Paris saw the most significant incidents, there were reports of one to two vandalized shops in other cities.

Of the total detainees, 480 were in Paris alone. The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed 277 individuals were formally placed in police custody. This group included 82 minors, accused mainly of assaulting officers, theft, vandalism, and public disorder.

Accidents and Warnings

Among the night’s serious incidents was a car losing control and crashing into a restaurant terrace, injuring two people, with one person seriously harmed.

Despite the chaos, planned festivities for PSG’s victory at the Champ de Mars, near the Eiffel Tower, were set to continue on Sunday. Nuñez vowed that police would respond firmly to any further violence.

Victory Celebrations

Fan celebrations commenced immediately after PSG’s victory against Arsenal, which concluded with a penalty shoot-out in Budapest, Hungary. Enthusiastic supporters marched along avenues near the Arc de Triomphe monument. Flares were set off, and car horns filled the air as around 20,000 people assembled on the Champs-Elysees.

The Paris police prefecture noted smaller groups disrupted the peace by vandalizing shops, setting fires to garbage, and torching self-service bicycles and cars. An attempt to breach a police station in the upscale 8th Arrondissement was thwarted.

After PSG’s previous title in May last year, similar chaos ensued, resulting in 201 injuries and over 500 arrests across France.