Paris erupted in celebration and confrontation on Saturday night as French police clashed with supporters and made dozens of arrests during the Champions League final in which Paris Saint-Germain beat Arsenal, officials said.
Authorities deployed a sweeping security operation for the match, stationing some 22,000 police across France, including 8,000 in Paris, after street unrest marred PSG’s win in the competition last year.
Even before the final whistle, police reported they had stopped 2,216 people and issued 89 fines. Forty-five people were arrested, and 13 of them were taken into custody.
Officers seized two dozen flares and about 100 fireworks. A bus shelter was destroyed near the Champs-Elysees avenue in central Paris, and one police officer was injured, according to police.
As the French side sealed victory in a penalty shootout, fireworks could be heard across Paris, underscoring the charged atmosphere that unfolded in pockets of the capital.
Police said a bakery and a restaurant were damaged near PSG’s Parc des Princes stadium, where between 4,000 and 5,000 people gathered during the match and projectiles were thrown at officers.
In the area around the stadium, about 150 people “attempted to enter through one of the gates” but were pushed back by police, a police spokesperson said.
An AFP reporter at the scene said clashes broke out between police and supporters near the stadium, and officers responded with tear gas when fireworks were thrown at them.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said there was a “very robust, very solid system in place” to curb violence.
“Our responsibility is to guarantee everyone a festive celebration that is calm and fully secure,” a police spokesperson said.
The heavy security presence reflected lessons from last year, when supporters ransacked shops on the Champs Elysee and other streets after the PSG win. Then, 5,400 officers were deployed around Paris and 491 of the 563 arrests across France were in Paris. Some 307 people were taken into custody, including 202 in Paris.
