Armed police clash with PSG fans as chaos continues in Paris
Rioting erupted on the Champs-Élysées on Sunday night as violence surrounding Paris Saint-Germain's European Cup celebrations spilled into a second consecutive night.
Clashes broke out between fans and police along the iconic Parisian avenue, where the PSG squad was holding a victory parade after defeating Inter Milan in the Champions League final.
'They're throwing everything they can at us,' said one officer on the scene, as authorities deployed tear gas and baton charges in an effort to regain control.
Gendarmes also fired flash ball guns to disperse groups of gang members reportedly armed with weapons, including long metal rods and bricks taken from nearby construction sites. Videos from the scene captured cars caught in the chaos, with panicked drivers instructed to lock themselves inside their vehicles for safety.
It followed two people losing their lives during intense nationwide violence following PSG being crowned European football champions for the first time in Munich, Germany, on Saturday night.
One of the worst incidents took place in Dax, in the south-west of France, where a 17-year-old was knifed in the stomach.
"He was part of a crowd celebrating the PSG win in designated fanzone, and died from his wounds in hospital' said a local police spokesman, without naming the deceased. An investigation is underway, and CCTV is being used to try and find those responsible.'
A man was also killed when his scooter collided with a car in Paris on Saturday, after the victim was seen celebrating the football win.
A police officer was seriously injured by a firecracker in Coutances, Normandy. He was placed in an induced coma, with a very serious eye and head injury, and was still in intensive care on Sunday morning.
The person who shot the firework at him – apparently deliberately – has not yet been idenfified, said an investigating source. In Grenoble, in eastern France, a car attempting 'a handbrake turn on a tram line' ploughed into a young family of four, severely wounding them.
Three of those hurt, two of them female, were still in intensive care on Sunday, as the unidentified car driver remained in custody.
A total of 294 people were arrested for football-related violence and looting in Paris as France's Interior Minister, Bruno Retailleau, described trouble makers as 'barbarians'.
Reacting to the disorder on X, Mr Retailleau said: 'True PSG fans are getting excited about their team's magnificent performance.
'Meanwhile, barbarians have taken to the streets of Paris to commit crimes and provoke law enforcement. I have asked the internal security forces to react vigorously to these abuses.
'I offer my support to the Police Prefect and all the police officers who are ensuring everyone's safety this evening. It is unacceptable that it is not possible to party without fearing the savagery of a minority of thugs who respect nothing.'
A ring of steel had been created around the Champs-Élysées, with major department stores and banks using steel shutters to try and keep looters away.
PSG's official club shops on the Champs, and at their ground, were also barricaded over the weekend. Despite this, a Foot Locker sports store on Champs-Élysées was broken into, and goods including multiple trainers stolen.
A Maisons du Monde furniture store on the nearby Avenue Wagram was also looted, said a police spokesman. Youths wearing masks and hoodies were meanwhile seen roaming around the city looking for trouble.
Motorbikes and discared mattresses were set alight, sending thick black smoke billowing through the night sky.
There was even fighting reported around the Eiffel Tower, which was lit up in PSG's red, white and blue following their 5-0 win.
Around 5,400 police officers were on duty across Paris at the weekend, as trouble was always expected, whatever the result.
PSG fans have an increasingly bad reputation for hooliganism, and some attacked fans from Arsenal and Aston Villa during this year's Champion's League campaign.
There was also trouble reported in Munich, where rival French and Italian fans fought each other.
Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, the PSG club president, appealed for calm on Sunday, as PSG took part in a victory parade in central Paris.
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