On Sunday, the French Ministry of the Interior announced that two people have died and hundreds have been arrested across France following celebrations by Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) football club fans after their victory in the UEFA Champions League final on Saturday.
According to the ministry, violent incidents on Saturday night resulted in 192 injuries and over 550 arrests, with 490 of them taking place in Paris.
Local media reported that on Saturday night in the southwestern city of Dax, a 17-year-old boy died after being stabbed in the chest. The prosecutor’s office stated that a 23-year-old man was fatally struck by a vehicle while riding an electric skateboard in central Paris.
Following Paris Saint-Germain’s historic first-ever win of the highest honor in European club football, revelers set off fireworks, smashed bus shelters, and torched vehicles, as depicted by media reports.
The Ministry of the Interior reported that 22 police officers and seven firefighters were injured, with 264 vehicles being destroyed by fire.
Laurent Nuñez, the Police Chief of Paris, mentioned that the UEFA Champions League victory parade for PSG would proceed as planned on Sunday night, with the presence of more police officers and military personnel to maintain order.
Nuñez stated, “Although the casualty numbers are lower than in the past, we will never tolerate such abuses of violence becoming the norm. These individuals are only here to cause destruction, some of them didn’t even attend the match, and we will always take strict measures to address this.”
He added, “PSG fans must not mix with looters and vandals.”
The parade took place from 5:00 to 6:30 pm on June 1, with players of the club riding in two double-decker buses, parading along the iconic Avenue des Champs-Élysées, and then being received at the Élysée Palace, where the French government acknowledged this historic victory.
(This article referenced reporting by POLITICO)