2 fans died and an officer is in a coma after Champions League celebrations in France
PARIS — Two fans died and a police officer is in a coma after mass nationwide celebrations for Paris Saint-Germain's historic Champions League victory, European soccer's biggest prize, French authorities said Sunday.
A 17-year-old boy was stabbed to death in the city of Dax during a PSG street party after Saturday night's final in Munich, the national police service said. A man was killed in Paris when his scooter was hit by a car during PSG celebrations, the interior minister's office said. The circumstances of both are being investigated.
A police officer was hit accidentally by fireworks in Coutance in northwest France and placed in an artificial coma because of grave eye injuries, the national police service said.
Hundreds of people were arrested in the celebrations, which were largely peaceful but degenerated into violence in some areas.
The team is expected to return to a big parade on the Champs-Elysees on Sunday after clinching its first Champions League title, a 5-0 win over Inter Milan.
At the top of the Champs-Élysées avenue, a water cannon was used to protect the Place de l'Étoile, near the landmark Arc de Triomphe. Police said a large crowd not watching the match tried to push through a barrier to make contact with police.
By 2 a.m. Sunday, a total of 294 arrests had been made, including 30 people who broke into a shoe shop on the Champs-Élysées. Two cars were set alight close to Parc des Princes, police added.
At the Place de la Bastille, there were joyous scenes as fans climbed onto the base of the famous column, singing, dancing and letting off flares, while those around joined in.
At one point, motorbikes loudly revved their engines and the crowd cheered as they did laps around the column. There were no police nearby and, by 1 a.m., the atmosphere was upbeat with no tensions and plenty of singing.
Security had been tightened up in anticipation of potential post-match violence and 5,400 police officers were deployed on the Champs-Élysées, other key parts of Paris, and its nearby suburbs.
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