The French usually take to the streets of Paris in happy, sad and revolutionary moments. When Paris Saint-Germain won their second Champions League title this Saturday (30), after a , it was no different.
The euphoria of the title quickly spread chaos throughout the French capital, which saw clashes with the police, fires, attempted looting and scenes of panic. At around 11pm local time (6pm in Brasília), at least 130 people had already been detained in Paris, in addition to an injured police officer.
At least six vehicles were set on fire, one of them in the Trocadéro region, in front of the iconic Eiffel Tower. On the Champs-Élysées avenue, around 20,000 people still remained in the region, even after the riots began.
The main sources of tension spread around the Parc des Princes and Porte de Saint-Cloud, as well as the Champs-Élysées. A large amount of tear gas was used by the police in the clashes, which saw mortars and fireworks fired at officers.
Bicycles and loan stations were set on fire in the 16th district, shop windows and street furniture were damaged and a kiosk caught fire near the famous avenue. The ring road was briefly invaded at Porte Maillot before the police dispersed the groups.
At Place de la République, there were new clashes with Shock Battalion units and mortar and bottle launches. Police also reported an attempted attack on the 8th district commissariat.
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At least two people were injured in Paris. One fell into the River Seine, near Quai Saint-Bernard, and went into cardiorespiratory arrest before being treated by emergency services. The other was injured by a sharp weapon in the Place de la République region, in the 11th district, according to police sources.
Buses stopped and businesses affected
The wave of celebrations and clashes impacted public transport. The operator Île-de-France Mobilités ordered the recall of all buses in the metropolitan region and reported interruptions on tram lines, to ensure the safety of passengers and drivers. On the streets, in addition to damage to vehicles and establishments, there were attempts to loot stores in the 8th district of Paris and in the center of Grenoble, which led to new arrests, according to the police.
The episodes were not limited to the capital. Occurrences involving fireworks, dumpster fires, vandalism and clashes with agents were recorded throughout the night in cities such as Dieppe, Clermont-Ferrand, Limoges, Valenciennes and Niort, according to local authorities cited by the press.
100 thousand people are expected on Sunday
For this Sunday (31), the expectation is for a large-scale celebration. The club informed that Luis Enrique’s players will leave Budapest in the morning and will participate in a free popular event on the Champ-de-Mars from 2pm, in front of the Eiffel Tower, where close to 100,000 people are expected. In the evening, the party will continue at Parc des Princes, at 7:30 pm. The cast will also be welcomed at the Élysée Palace from 6pm, according to a formal schedule.
