Even during the Champions League final match in Budapest, skirmishes have already begun in Paris between riot police and groups of fans – or mere troublemakers – on the Champs-Élysées and near the Parc des Princes, the stadium where PSG usually plays. The clashes escalated as the hours passed and spread to other cities such as Clermont-Ferrand, Limoges, Dieppe, and Valenciennes.
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In Paris, there have been police charges, with the use of tear gas, to disperse the crowd and respond to the use of smoke bombs, the burning of municipal service bicycles, and other acts of vandalism against shops and vehicles. At least one police officer has been injured and dozens of arrests have been made.
The Ministry of the Interior has deployed 8,000 officers in the capital in anticipation of incidents, regardless of the outcome of the match against Arsenal. Many of the people causing trouble have not even watched the match. Their sole objective was to provoke the police, challenge the authority of the State, and cause indiscriminate damage, a ritual that repeats on the occasion of other matches – it already happened after the victorious semifinal – or on dates such as July 14, the national holiday, or New Year’s Eve. The burning of vehicles and street furniture and vandalism are fixed elements of these riots. In the most serious cases, there is breaking of shop windows and looting of stores.
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Fear of riots has partly overshadowed media attention on the match, broadcast by two channels, but other news outlets have teams on the street. On the Champs-Élysées, taken over by the police with a large display of resources, demonstrations are prohibited, but still about 20,000 people have shown up. The intense heatwave that has been ongoing for days may have contributed to stirring tempers and uncivil behavior.
Exceptional security measures are expected on Sunday during the reception of the champions at the Champ de Mars, under the Eiffel Tower.
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