Two dead, 500 arrested in France amid wild celebrations after Champions League win
Reuters
PARIS ― More than 500 people were arrested by police during the Champions League final celebrations in France, and two people were reported dead and 192 injured, the interior ministry said on Sunday.
Wild celebrations erupted across the French capital and beyond on Saturday night after Paris Saint-Germain crushed Italian opponents Inter Milan to win the Champions League for the first time, although skirmishes with police later threatened to spoil the party.
The interior ministry's provisional assessment as of Sunday morning was that 559 people had been arrested, including 491 in Paris, which led to 320 people being placed in police custody, 254 of them in Paris.
There was one fatal accident when a young man in his twenties died in a collision with a vehicle, police chief Laurent Nunez told reporters, while in the southwestern city of Dax, a 17-year-old died from stab wounds, French media reported.
"A judicial investigation will determine whether or not it (the fatality in Paris) can be linked to the celebrations. At this stage, it appears to be connected to the festivities," Nunez said.
On the boutique-lined Champs Elysees avenue, bus shelters were smashed and projectiles hurled at riot police, who fired tear gas and water cannon to push back surging crowds as thousands of supporters who descended on the area.
The interior ministry on Sunday reported hundreds of fires, including more than 200 vehicles burned. Some 22 members of the security forces and seven firefighters were harmed.
Nunez warned that more skirmishes could occur on Sunday as PSG will parade on the Champs Elysees before celebrating the title with their fans at the Parc des Princes stadium.
"We're at halftime, so to speak, as this afternoon we have the parade taking place on the Champs Elysees," Nunez said.
"Only those attending the parade will be allowed on site. A maximum attendance of just over 100,000 people has been set – beyond that, no-one else will be allowed in.
"This evening, there will be a celebration at the Parc des Princes as well. We also expect gatherings around the Place de la Porte de Saint Cloud, and we will respond in the same measured but firm way should there be any attempts to block the ring road, attack law enforcement, or cause further damage."
Paris had deployed 5,400 officers in anticipation of celebrations following a PSG win, Nunez had said on Friday.
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