Police confirm two deaths in incidents indirectly related to the celebrations
The far-right condemns that every party in the country “becomes a playground for scum” while the LFI denounces police actions
The French Police Prefecture has reported 559 people arrested across the country amid a wave of nighttime riots during the celebrations for Paris Saint-Germain’s victory in the Champions League final, in which they defeated Inter Milan (5-0) at the Allianz Arena (Munich).
Paris was the epicenter of the riots, with a total of 491 arrests. A provisional total of 320 people were arrested and brought before a court, 254 of them in the French capital. In total, 192 people were injured and two died as a result of incidents that occurred during the celebrations, although investigations are still underway to determine whether they are directly linked to the incident.
The dead are a man struck by a vehicle while riding a motorcycle through the streets of the French capital and a 17-year-old boy stabbed in the town of Dax, in the south of the country. In addition, according to the latest official figures, 22 members of the security forces were injured, as well as seven firefighters. Of particular concern is a police officer who is in an induced coma after being hit by a firecracker during the celebrations in the Manche department in northeastern France.
Authorities have also confirmed 692 fires, including 264 vehicles, and a robbery of a shoe store, which resulted in the arrest of around 30 people following a police intervention. Several businesses along the Champs-Élysées reported material damage, as well as in Annemasse (Haute-Savoie), Pau (Pyrénées-Atlantiques), and Nantes (Loire-Atlantique).
Several traffic accidents have also occurred, including one in Grenoble, when the driver of a BMW ended up hitting four pedestrians: two 17-year-old men and two women, aged 23 and 46, members of the same family. The driver abandoned his vehicle and fled for fear of being lynched by the crowd, according to the newspaper Le Dauphiné Libéré. A few minutes later, he surrendered to the police, who immediately arrested him. One of the injured is in serious condition.
At least four riot police officers were injured. A police officer suffered a dislocated shoulder after being attacked by his supporters. A motorcycle officer broke his leg after falling off his motorcycle. A police officer was injured by a shard of glass in his eye. Another suffered a torn leg muscle. Finally, another officer was injured in the shoulder by an unidentified projectile.
Some 5,400 officers had been deployed in Paris as part of the reinforced security measures for the football match. Even before the match ended, the Police Prefecture reported 59 arrests.
“Due to the events currently affecting Paris, we are receiving a large number of calls. If your call is not urgent, we ask that you immediately release the emergency line,” the Paris Fire Brigade stated in a post on its X social media account.
For his part, French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has called on security forces to act “vigorously” against those causing the riots, whom he described as “barbarians and thugs.”
“I offer my support to the Prefect of Police and all the police officers who are ensuring everyone’s safety tonight. It is unbearable that it is not possible to celebrate without fearing the savagery of a minority of thugs who respect nothing,” he stated in a message on X.
Likewise, Prime Minister François Bayrou sent a message of encouragement to the “forces of law and order.” “May the celebration be beautiful and may everyone ensure everyone’s safety,” he stated on X.
“A PLAYGROUND FOR SCUM,” SAYS BARDELLA
The president of the far-right National Rally, Jordan Bardella, has described the tendency toward violence that accompanies every celebration in the country, which is tarnishing its image in the eyes of the world.
“As happens with every popular festival, the capital of France becomes a playground for scum,” he lamented on his X social media account. “Always the same profiles and always the same state impotence. It’s no longer just a serious problem of insecurity: it’s the entire image of France that is tarnished in the world,” he stated.
