Champions League celebrations in France end in chaos: 457 arrests
In the final held in Budapest, Hungary's capital, PSG defeated Arsenal 4-3 on penalties, retaining the Champions League title. However, the celebrations that spilled onto the streets in France after the match turned into violent incidents and clashes with the police. French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez stated in a press conference that the situation was largely under control, announcing that police had taken action against 780 people nationwide, with 457 of them being arrested. It was reported that the rate of those processed increased by 32% compared to last year's championship celebrations.
Minister Nunez highlighted the increase in firework attacks against security forces during the celebrations, revealing that 57 police officers and 219 civilians, 8 of whom were seriously injured, were hurt in the incidents. Meanwhile, a 24-year-old person died in a scooter accident related to the celebrations, and a 17-year-old who was attacked in a knife fight is in a coma and in critical condition.
On the night of the match, 22,000 police officers were deployed across France, with 8,000 in Paris. Approximately 20,000 fans gathered on the Champs-Elysees Avenue, and tensions were high around the Parc des Princes Stadium. Objects were thrown at police teams by a group of 4-5,000 people gathered around the stadium; about 150 people attempted to force their way through one of the stadium gates. Police intervened with tear gas.
In the incidents, shops, vehicles, and a bus stop were damaged in about 15 cities; some demonstrators blocked the Paris ring road and lit flares. Far-right leader Marine Le Pen reacted to the events, stating, "Only in France does a football club's victory lead to riots."
Meanwhile, 6,000 police and gendarmes were dispatched to the area for a ceremony expected to be attended by 100,000 people near the Eiffel Tower's Champ de Mars to welcome the champion team today. It was reported that after the parade with the players on an open-top bus, they would be received by President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace.
