Violent clashes erupted during Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League final victory, leading to over 280 detentions in Paris. The French interior ministry reported that 416 individuals were detained nationwide, including 283 in Paris.
22,000 police officers were deployed across France for the game, with 8,000 stationed in Paris following unrest from last year’s win. This led to halted tram lines, shut metro stations, and halted bus traffic.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez described the unrest as “absolutely unacceptable,” noting that seven officers were wounded and six vehicles, along with two businesses, were damaged. A group of supporters also blocked the Paris ring road, causing temporary traffic halts.
Fans celebrated in Budapest while some 20,000 gathered on Paris’s Champs-Élysées. Shops boarded up their windows to avoid a repeat of last year’s disturbances. Two dozen flares and about 100 fireworks were seized, along with destruction of a bus shelter near the Champs-Élysées.
Clashes broke out between police and supporters near the stadium, resulting in tear gas being used when fireworks were thrown. Marine Le Pen criticized the violence as “only in France” such incidents occur.
Nunez emphasized that there is a robust system in place to prevent violence, aiming for a secure and calm celebration. The players will participate in a parade on Sunday with 100,000 spectators before meeting President Macron at the Elysee Palace.