Hundreds arrested as clashes erupt in Paris on PSG victory night

FE Team | Published: May 31, 2026 21:52:43

PARIS, France, May 31 (AFP): Police on Saturday detained more than 280 people in Paris after violent clashes erupted when thousands poured onto the streets during Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League final victory.
Some 22,000 police were deployed across France for the game, including 8,000 in Paris, after unrest marred PSG's win in the competition last year. Paris tram lines were halted, several metro stations shut and bus traffic halted in places in a bid to minimise disturbances.
According to the French interior ministry, 416 people were detained nationwide, including 283 who were apprehended in Paris. It was not immediately clear how many of these individuals were remanded in custody to face further investigation.
Interior minister Laurent Nunez said seven officers had been wounded and called the unrest "absolutely unacceptable."
Six vehicles and two businesses were damaged.
A group of supporters also stormed the Paris ring road, the peripherique, bringing traffic to a halt for a time and letting off flares, an AFP photographer said.
As fans celebrated the dramatic penalty shoot out victory in the Hungarian capital, Budapest, some 20,000 people converged on Paris's iconic Champs-Elysees avenue, police said.
Shops boarded up their windows ahead of the match to avoid a repeat of disturbances last year when youths ransacked shops on the Champs-Elysees and other streets. Hundreds of people were arrested.
Two dozen flares and about 100 fireworks were seized Saturday, while a bus shelter was destroyed near the Champs-Elysees.
The match also came on a hectic evening in Paris, with singer Aya Nakamura performing at the Stade de France national stadium, rapper Damso at the La Defense Arena and the French Open tennis in full swing.
Police said a bakery and a restaurant were damaged near PSG's Parc des Princes stadium, where tens of thousands gathered inside to watch the match but 4,000 to 5,000 people loitered outside with projectiles which were thrown at officers.