Paris police report record 563 arrests amid PSG Champions League celebrations | OneFootball

Paris police chief Laurent Nuñez has revealed the extent of incidents after 100,000 supporters gathered in central Paris to celebrate Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League triumph. Speaking to RTL, the Paris police prefect confirmed that a total of 563 arrests were made over the weekend, including 491 in the capital, as law enforcement say they had to respond to ‘violent disturbances’ during and after PSG’s title celebrations. The incidents unfolded in the aftermath of Paris Saint-Germain’s 5-0 dismantling of Inter Milan in the Champions League final on Saturday evening in Munich. A massive crowd gathered were then present on Sunday for the trophy parade on the Champs-Élysées, followed by a presentation at the Parc des Princes.We saw a resurgence of individuals with malicious intent, who were not really PSG supporters,” said Nuñez. “On two points of the capital, we had serious incidents.”One flashpoint occurred near the Parc des Princes on the périphérique, shortly after 1 a.m., where groups threw barriers onto the road to block traffic, causing disruption for around 15 minutes. Meanwhile, a second wave of disturbances took place back on the Champs-Élysées, where groups “were going up and down the avenue, firing mortar fireworks and attempting to damage businesses,” according to Nuñez.

By the early hours, 79 arrests had been made during these overnight confrontations, with calm reportedly restored by 3:30 a.m.

Over the course of the weekend, 323 of the 563 individuals arrested were placed in police custody, many of whom remain detained on Monday morning. A significant portion are suspected of having looted shops during the unrest.

“It’s a very high, even unprecedented, security toll,” the Prefect concluded.GFFN | George Boxall