PSG Reach Champions League Final, Violence Erupts in Paris
Al Jazeera English
Nearly 130 people were arrested across Paris after PSG beat Bayern Munich 6-5 to reach the Champions League final. Clashes erupted near the stadium and on the Champs-Elysees, leaving 11 rioters and 23 police injured. Interior Minister Nunez condemned the violence and said security would be tightened for the final against Arsenal in Budapest.
Nearly 130 people were arrested across Paris and its suburbs on the night of May 6 after Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) secured a spot in the Champions League final, French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez confirmed.
Speaking on Europe 1 radio on May 7, Nunez said the total number of arrests in the Paris metropolitan area was 127, including 107 in the city of Paris. The clashes occurred outside the Parc des Princes stadium and along the Champs-Elysees, as police dispersed groups and thwarted rioters' attempts to blockade the Paris ring road.
According to Nunez, 11 rioters were injured, one seriously by a flare, and 23 officers suffered minor injuries. He strongly condemned the excesses: “I strongly condemn this. There are always hundreds of individuals responsible for going overboard in these celebrations, seeking to clash with law enforcement.” He thanked police for timely intervention, preventing property damage and looting.
PSG defeated Bayern Munich by an aggregate score of 6-5 to reach their second consecutive final and third since 2020. The final against Arsenal is scheduled for Budapest, Hungary on May 30. Nunez said security would be increased for the match.
Nunez also appeared to criticize newly elected Paris Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire — who regularly attends PSG matches — for publicly announcing plans to create a fan zone in Paris for the final without prior consultation with police.
Football-related violence is not new in Paris and other parts of France in recent years. When PSG won the Champions League last season, police arrested more than 500 people across France. A 20-year-old man died in Paris when his scooter was hit by a car during celebrations. In 2020, after PSG lost to Bayern in the final, Paris police arrested 148 people for clashes and vandalism of cars and shop windows. In 2013, when PSG won the French league for the first time in 19 years, celebrations were cut short by hours-long battles between fans and riot police, leaving 30 injured.
Similar incidents have occurred on the Champs-Elysees after Algeria's victory in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, after a match between Morocco and Algeria in the 2021 Arab Cup, and after both France and Morocco advanced to the World Cup semifinals on the same day in 2022.
