Paris descended into chaos on Saturday night as celebrations over Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League victory turned violent, leading to hundreds of arrests, damaged businesses, fires, and clashes with police.
Hundreds of people were detained by police after crowds erupted across the capital following PSG’s win over Arsenal in the Champions League final in Budapest. Fans were seen setting fires, vandalizing shops, launching fireworks at one another, and engaging in confrontations with law enforcement. A group of fans even stormed a police station at one point.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said that 780 people were detained in Paris and other cities. At least 57 officers were wounded.
“Most of the celebrations took place peacefully,” Nuñez claimed, despite footage of the nation’s capital on fire.
The unrest echoed incidents from last year when PSG’s victory celebrations also turned violent and, in some cases, deadly. Nuñez claimed that this time, the country was prepared and had put a "very robust, very solid system in place.”
Still, the Champs-Élysées saw a huge influx of fans after the team won in a penalty shootout, with roughly 20,000 gathered, according to the Associated Press.
In a post on X, Marine Le Pen, the leader of the right-wing National Rally party, said, “Only in France does a football club's victory spark riots. Only in France does everyone feel compelled to lock themselves in their homes on the evening of a victory to avoid being confronted with violence," she said.
A victory parade will take place on Sunday afternoon, including a reception by President Emmanuel Macron.
