Dozens arrested in Paris clashes on PSG victory night – Police

Police arrested dozens of people during clashes that erupted in Paris on Saturday night as thousands streamed onto the streets to celebrate Paris Saint‑Germain’s Champions League final victory.

In total, 22,000 police officers were deployed across France for the match, including 8,000 in Paris, after unrest marred PSG’s win in the competition last year. The authorities halted tram lines, shut several metro stations and suspended bus traffic in an effort to minimise disturbances.

Paris police said 79 people were detained in the city, 45 of whom were taken into custody. Six vehicles and two businesses were damaged, and a police officer was injured.

While fans celebrated the dramatic penalty‑shootout victory, about 20,000 people converged on the city’s iconic Champs‑Élysées, police said. Shops had boarded up their windows ahead of the match to avoid a repeat of last year’s disturbances, when youths ransacked shops on the Champs‑Élysées and other streets, leading to hundreds of arrests.

Two dozen flares and roughly 100 fireworks were seized Saturday, and a bus shelter was destroyed near the Champs‑Élysées. Fireworks also rang out across Paris after the French side secured its win in Budapest.

Police reported that a bakery and a restaurant were damaged near PSG’s Parc des Princes stadium, where tens of thousands gathered inside to watch the match. Outside, 4,000 to 5,000 people loitered and threw projectiles at officers. About 150 people “attempted to enter through one of the gates” at the stadium but were pushed back, a police spokesperson said. Some also tried to erect a barricade with rental bikes, which police cleared.

An AFP reporter on the scene said clashes broke out between police and supporters near the stadium, and officers responded with tear gas when fireworks were thrown at them.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said a “very robust, very solid system in place” was used to curb violence. “Our responsibility is to guarantee everyone a festive celebration that is calm and fully secure,” a police spokesperson added.

Last year, supporters ransacked shops on the Champs‑Élysées and other streets after the PSG win, with hundreds of people arrested.

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