On the night of Sunday to Monday, the French police arrested more than 550 people in Paris after the celebrations of Paris Saint-Germain football club's Champions League final victory turned into clashes and disorder.
On Saturday, "Paris Saint-Germain" defeated Milan's "Inter" club with a score of 5:0 in a game held in Munich, becoming the prestigious European club football trophy holder for the first time in its history.
About 50,000 fans gathered in the center of Paris, at the Place de l'Elysée and next to the home arena of "Paris Saint-Germain," the "Parc des Princes" stadium, to watch the game and then celebrate the victory.
Most of the fans behaved peacefully, many of them were singing songs and dancing in the streets of Paris.
The Eiffel Tower was painted in the colors of "Paris Saint-Germain," and the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, congratulated the club on his X platform account: "A wonderful day for PSG! Congratulations, we are all proud. Tonight Paris became the capital of Europe".
However, some fans celebrating the victory resorted to fireworks, setting cars on fire, and destroying bus stops. Clashes with the police began.
There were close to 5,400 police officers on the streets of the French capital.
Most of the 559 arrested individuals are suspected of disorder, as well as organizing fireworks.
"Those who tried to organize disorder at the Place de l'Elysée constantly clashed with the police, launched large fireworks, and threw other objects," the police report says.
According to Le Figaro, the majority of those arrested – 491 people – were in Paris. A total of 320 troublemakers were jailed.
According to officials, at least 192 people were injured during the disorder, including 22 security personnel and seven firefighters.
The police recorded 692 incidents related to arson, including 264 vehicles being set on fire.
Two people died. In the commune of Dax, a 17-year-old teenager was injured with a knife while celebrating the victory on the street. The victim was taken to the hospital and died there.
In the 15th district of Paris, a woman riding a scooter was hit by a car during the celebrations.
In Grenoble, a car ran into a crowd celebrating, resulting in four people being injured, two of them in serious condition.
In the footage posted on social networks, it is visible that some people attempted to break into stores in the Place de l'Elysée, including the Chanel fashion boutique and Foot Locker shoe store.
It is reported that the police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse a crowd trying to move toward the Arc de Triomphe, and there is also information about the use of tear gas.
Clashes with the police also occurred on the Paris ring road. Near the "Parc des Princes" stadium, at least two cars were set on fire.
Bruno Retayo, the Minister of the Interior of France, wrote on his social media page: "The real fans of PSG are enjoying their team's wonderful game. Meanwhile, barbarians went to the streets of Paris to commit crimes and provoke the police".
On Sunday, the PSG players will hold a victory parade at the Place de l'Elysée, with tens of thousands of fans expected to participate. Macron's office announced that the president will welcome the footballers to congratulate them on their Champions League victory.
