Violent riots in Paris during the Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal
[76288] Violent riots in Paris during the Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal
A series of violent clashes broke out in the streets of Paris during the Champions League final in Budapest, as Paris Saint-Germain fans attacked police with fireworks and stones.
Riots in Paris against the backdrop of the Champions League final
During the Champions League final held tonight in Budapest between the teams Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Arsenal, widespread violent riots broke out in Paris. According to reports in Times of Ukraine and Реальна Війна, groups of the Parisian team's fans attacked local police forces by firing fireworks and throwing stones.
The authorities in France prepared in advance for the possibility of public disturbances, with media outlets such as Новини.LIVE reporting that the Champs-Élysées street in Paris was closed to traffic, and business owners in the area rushed to fortify storefronts with wooden boards and metal bars due to concerns of looting and riots, regardless of the match result. The authorities mobilized about 8,000 police and gendarmerie officers as well as 2,500 firefighters to deal with the situation.
Батальйон «Монако» noted that the clashes began during the match, when the score was 1:1, leading to heavy concern of further escalation after the final whistle. Other media outlets, including Україна Online, called the events a "Paris massacre" against the backdrop of the tense battle for the European title.
From a sporting perspective, БОМБАРДИР noted that this was an exceptional final, as for the first time in a decade it was decided that the game would not end in regulation time. In addition, there were reports of prior violent incidents in Budapest as well, where fans of both teams clashed with each other even before the opening whistle, as published in Фокус.