The overwhelming victory of Paris Saint-Germain against Inter Milan (5-0), Saturday May 31 in the final of the Champions League, was followed by a night of violence marked by a heavy human and material report. Despite the calls for calm launched by the club, the celebrations quickly turned to the riot in Paris and in several cities in France.
In Paris, the police were faced with chaos scenes even before the final whistle. Jets of projectiles, fireworks shots, clashes with the police, looting … in the night, the Champs-Élysées and the surroundings of the Pont d’Iéna became the epicentres of the clashes. At 2 a.m., the police headquarters already identified 294 arrests. This figure rose to 559 Sunday morning, including 491 in Paris. In all, 320 people were placed in police custody.
Two people died in separate circumstances but linked to the evening. In Dax, a 17 -year -old was stabbed. In Paris, a 20 -year -old scooter driver was struck by a vehicle of supporters. In Grenoble, another vehicle rushed into the crowd, seriously injuring two people. According to a provisional assessment, 192 people were injured, including 22 police officers and seven firefighters. A police officer would be in a coma.
The overflows were not limited to the capital. In Alençon, an 18 -year -old driver struck a window, causing a fire and the evacuation of a building. In Poitiers, a police car was attacked. Similar scenes of urban violence, looting or degradation have been reported to Annemasse, Pau, Nantes or in the Paris region.
In total, nearly 700 fires were identified, with 264 burned cars. Several stores have been vandalized, notably on the Champs-Élysées.
Beyond tensions, this night was to celebrate a historic moment: PSG won the first Champions League in its history, on a masterful performance concluded by a 5-0 against Inter Milan in Munich. A sports triumph overshadowed by the violence of a minority.
