French interior minister slammed for calling PSG fans 'barbarians' after Champions League victory
PARIS — French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau is facing sharp criticism from opposition lawmakers and civil rights advocates after referring to Paris Saint-Germain supporters as 'barbarians' in the wake of their UEFA Champions League victory celebrations.
PSG defeated Italy's Inter Milan 5–0 in the final, prompting street celebrations across France that saw moments of unrest.
According to the Paris Police Department, 131 individuals were taken into custody nationwide. Authorities reported incidents including two cars set ablaze, a store looted, and three pedestrians injured in Grenoble after a vehicle plowed into a crowd.
In a post on X, Retailleau stated that while 'true fans enjoyed the match,' others 'took to the streets of Paris to commit crimes and provoke law enforcement.'
He instructed police to respond 'firmly' and condemned 'the savagery of a minority of thugs who respect nothing.'
His language quickly drew rebuke from the left-wing opposition.
Antoine Léaument of the France Unbowed party criticized police for deploying tear gas near the Madeleine metro station and accused the minister of escalating tensions.
'The barbarian is at Beauvau,' he wrote, referencing the Interior Ministry's location.
Lawmaker Alexis Corbière also condemned the rhetoric, questioning Retailleau's use of the terms 'barbarian' and 'savage,' which he said 'imply foreignness and dehumanization.'
He added, 'Even when people are happy, this man is full of hatred."
Thomas Portes, also with France Unbowed, directly accused Retailleau of racism, stating: 'The word 'barbarian' has no place coming from the mouth of the Interior Minister. Bruno Retailleau confirms tonight that he is a racist Interior Minister.'
Retailleau has not responded to the criticism. — Agencies
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Leaders
6 hours ago
- Leaders
Aid Ship Sails to Gaza with Greta Thunberg on Board
Climate campaigner Greta Thunberg and 11 other activists are on their own way to Gaza Strip aboard a ship carrying humanitarian aid, according to Associated Press. The aid ship seeks to break 'Israel's siege' of the devastated territory, organizers said. Operated by activist group Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the ship headed on Sunday from the Sicilian port of Catania, in southern Italy. Greta Thunberg The activists said that they will try to reach the shores of Gaza and deliver some aids to Palestinians who are starving due to Israel's blockade of humanitarian aid. 'We are doing this because, no matter what odds we are against, we have to keep trying,' Thunberg said. Greta Thunberg and other activists The mission also seeks to raise 'international awareness' over the ongoing humanitarian crisis. 'Because the moment we stop trying is when we lose our humanity. And no matter how dangerous this mission is, it's not even near as dangerous as the silence of the entire world in the face of the live-streamed genocide,' she added. Interestingly, 'Game of Thrones' actor Liam Cunningham and Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament who is of Palestinian descent joined the crew. Israel has previously banned Hassan from entering due to her obvious opposition to the Israeli war on Gaza. If the ship is not stopped, the activists will arrive in Gaza within 7 days. 'We are breaking the siege of Gaza by sea, but that's part of a broader strategy of mobilizations that will also attempt to break the siege by land,' said activist Thiago Avila. Related Topics: Italian Puglia Region Cuts Ties with Israel over Gaza Genocide Barcelona Severs Twin-City Ties with Tel Aviv over Gaza War Saudi FM Arrives in Jordan for Gaza Meeting Short link : Post Views: 131
Saudi Gazette
11 hours ago
- Saudi Gazette
Hundreds arrested as violence continues around PSG's Champions League win
PARIS — A further 79 people have been arrested in Paris as violence continued to disrupt Paris St Germain's (PSG) celebrations after its historic Champions League win, the capital's police chief has said. After more than 100,000 people welcomed the return of PSG players to the French capital following their 5-0 thrashing of Inter Milan in the Champions League final on Saturday, a second night of scattered violent incidents ensued. Paris police prefect Laurent Nuñez told RTL radio that groups of individuals gathered close to the PSG stadium and on the Champs-Élysées avenue after midnight, causing trouble. "During the night, after 1 am, individuals with malicious intent returned to the ring road near the Parc des Princes," he said. Nuñez said that some of the people had used makeshift barriers and blocked the ring road for "at least" 15 minutes, before being dispersed by a "rapid reaction from the police." He said that other troublemakers set off fireworks and vandalized local shops, with "four or maybe five" said calm was restored by 3:30 am in the early hours of had earlier put on an open-top bus parade in the city for its winners of European club football's biggest prize arrived in Paris on Sunday afternoon and headed to France's most famous avenue, the Champs-Élysées, which overnight on Saturday saw acts of violence and clashes with riot had made more than 560 arrests across France on Saturday night, with Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau confirming that 307 people were being held in Interior Ministry said in a statement that 22 police officers had been injured in the violence, 18 of them in Paris."The overall number of arrests is very high, it is completely unprecedented," Nuñez were largely peaceful but degenerated into violence in some areas.A 17-year-old boy was stabbed to death in the western city of Dax during a PSG street party after the final, the national police service in Paris, a man in his 20s was killed when his scooter was hit by a car during PSG celebrations. — Euronews
Asharq Al-Awsat
12 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
French Police Detain Dozens After Football Celebrations
French authorities detained 79 people in the second such wave of arrests during celebrations following Paris Saint-Germain's football Champions League win, a police chief said Monday. The PSG thrashed Inter Milan by a record 5-0 in Saturday evening's final in Munich, flying back to Paris on Sunday for a triumphal parade along the Champs Elysees, then celebrations in a packed Parc des Princes stadium on the edge of the French capital. The PSG winning the biggest prize in European club football for the first time sparked delirious festivities in France, but was marred by violence. On Sunday, "we saw a resurgence of individuals driven by malicious intent who were not really PSG supporters," Paris police chief Laurent Nunez told RTL radio. "We arrested 79 people, some of them in the night," he said, adding that order had been restored before dawn. Some were detained over taking barriers and briefly blocking the ring road around Paris, while others had tried to vandalize businesses or fired fireworks on the Champs Elysees, he said. On Saturday night, police had made more than 500 arrests across France, the interior ministry said, after more than 200 cars were torched and police clashed with youths. In the southwest town of Dax, a 17-year-old boy died after being stabbed in the chest. A 23-year-old man riding a scooter in central Paris also died after being hit by a vehicle. A policeman was in an induced coma after being injured by a firework. Receiving the triumphant team at the Elysee palace on Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron condemned what he called "unacceptable" violence during the festivities. Many of the stars of the team, one of the youngest in the competition, are drawn from the huge football talent pool in the Paris suburbs after PSG's Qatari owners turned their back on the policy of signing star players like Neymar and Lionel Messi. A total of 11.5 million people tuned in across France to watch the match.
