Paris Police Arrest 130 After PSG Win, Firing Tear Gas at 20,000 Fans
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · May 31
Paris Police Arrest 130 After PSG Win, Firing Tear Gas at 20,000 Fans
20 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 31
More than 130 people were arrested by 11 p.m. in Paris after PSG’s Champions League final win over Arsenal sparked clashes during street celebrations.
Thousands of officers were deployed around Parc des Princes and the Champs-Élysées as some fans fired fireworks at police, who responded with tear gas and riot-control sweeps.
At least 40,000 supporters watched the match on giant screens at Parc des Princes, while police estimated another 20,000 gathered on the partly cordoned-off Champs-Élysées, where flares and fireworks were set off.
Six vehicles and two storefronts were damaged, though television footage also showed large crowds celebrating peacefully in parts of the capital.
The heavy security operation came after last year’s PSG title celebrations left two people dead and nearly 200 injured, prompting authorities to put 22,000 police on duty.
While PSG celebrates its victory, who will ultimately pay for the widespread destruction left behind in Paris?
After a second year of violent riots, is France's approach to managing football celebrations fundamentally broken?
Could tough sanctions on clubs, as a UK police chief suggests, finally end France's post-victory riots?