Police watch as PSG supporters celebrate in Paris as a car burns and fireworks explode (AP Photo)
Events after Paris Saint-Germain Champions League The victory over Arsenal sparked widespread unrest across France, with authorities confirming 780 arrests overnight and a number of serious incidents reported across the country.PSG scored a dramatic victory in Budapest on Saturday, sparking jubilant scenes among supporters in Paris and other cities. Thousands of people flooded public spaces to celebrate the club’s latest European success, but in many places the festivities quickly descended into chaos.French authorities had anticipated the potential trouble and deployed around 22,000 police officers and security personnel across the country. Despite the massive operation, clashes broke out between supporters’ groups and law enforcement officials in several areas.Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said police faced an unusually high number of fireworks fired directly at officers during the riots. Addressing journalists on Sunday, he revealed that dozens of members of the security forces were injured during the unrest.“In France ‘219 participants were injured, eight critically’.”He also confirmed that 57 police officers and other security personnel were injured while responding to the incidents.More tragedies marred the celebrations. A man in his twenties has died after his motocross bike crashed into concrete barriers at an exit ramp on the Paris ring road, according to the Paris public prosecutor’s office.Authorities also reported another serious incident in the capital, where a teenager was seriously injured in a stabbing that investigators believe may be related to a robbery.Beyond Paris, incidents of violence and disorder were recorded across the country. Nunes said there were a limited number of thefts and looting incidents in about 15 cities, while disturbances were reported in 71 municipalities.After PSG’s previous Champions League success, the scale of unrest was heightened by last year’s celebrations. According to the interior minister, the total number of arrests represents a 32 percent increase compared to the figures recorded during the club’s title celebrations a year ago.Attention now turns to Sunday’s victory parade in Paris. Around 100,000 supporters are expected to gather near the Eiffel Tower to welcome the players, before the squad travel to the Elysée Palace for a reception by the president. Emmanuel Macron.Nunez warned that authorities would maintain tight security during the events.He said “a strong law enforcement response” would be deployed, warning that anyone attempting to block traffic or illegally enter the Paris Ring Road could face financial penalties.The violence has also reignited debate over how major football events should be managed in the French capital. The mayor of Paris’s 8th arrondissement, which includes the Champs-Elysees, argued that banning mass gatherings on the famous avenue was the only practical solution after Saturday’s events.In a statement, the town hall said:“The Champs-Elysees avenue and its surroundings are no longer a place to celebrate and have become a battlefield of urban guerilla warfare”.He added: “Since it has become impossible to celebrate a match without rioting, the only common sense response is a new theory: ‘zero gatherings’.”Nunez rejected the proposal, saying that implementing such a measure would use up a large portion of available security resources. Around 6,000 police officers and gendarmes have been assigned to monitor Sunday’s celebrations as authorities try to ensure PSG celebrations go ahead without further serious incidents.
