More than 280 people were detained in the French capital by the early hours of Sunday after a night of mayhem.
Hundreds of people were detained by police in Paris as violence swept through the capital late Saturday after the victory of Paris Saint-Germain football club in the UEFA Champions League final.
Thousands of supporters flooded the streets, vandalizing businesses, letting off fireworks and flares and clashing with police officers who deployed tear gas. Police had made 283 arrests by 1:30 a.m. Sunday, according to the authorities.
In the city’s upscale 8th Arrondissement neighborhood, a group attempted to storm a police station but were dispersed. Other cities in France also saw violence and arrests.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said seven officers were injured in clashes across the country. He called the disorder “absolutely unacceptable.”
Far-right leader Marine Le Pen wrote on X: “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.
Valérie Pécresse, leader of the Île-de-France region, which includes Paris, called for sanctions against those causing violence. “The brainless thugs who think they can smash everything are tarnishing the image of Paris and France!” Pécresse wrote in a post on X. “We must be able to celebrate on victory nights peacefully in Paris and the Île-de-France region!”
Similar riots took place in Paris last May after Paris Saint-Germain’s victory at the previous Champions League final, resulting in more than 500 arrests and two deaths and drawing widespread political condemnation.
Paris Saint-Germain defeated Arsenal in a dramatic final in Budapest after a 4-3 shoot-out following a 1-1 draw after extra time, becoming the first French club to win the competition twice.
The team will have a victory parade at the Champ-de-Mars on Sunday afternoon before being received by French President Emmanuel Macron.