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Hundreds arrested in Paris for clashes, violence and looting during PSG’s Champions League win

Hundreds of people have been arrested in Paris for clashes, violence and looting during PSG’s Champions League win on Saturday night.

PSG thrashed Inter Milan 5-0 to win the competition for the first time; Luis Enrique’s side also completed a historic treble with victory in Munich.

Desire Doue scored twice, with Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Senny Mayulu also finding the net.

However, the night was marred due to the disorder that took place near the city’s Champs-Elysees avenue and PSG’s Parc des Princes stadium, where 50,000 fans watched the game on the big screen.

As of Sunday morning, 559 people were arrested, 491 in Paris with hundreds more people being held in police custody, 22 police officers, 7 firefighters and 192 others injured, and sadly, two people have died.

In the south-west town of Dax, a 17-year-old boy died after being stabbed in the chest late on Saturday evening, local media reported.

A 23-year-old man who was riding a scooter in central Paris was also killed after being hit by a vehicle, the prosecutor’s office said.

‘He [a 17 year old] was part of a crowd celebrating the PSG win in designated fanzone, and died from his wounds in hospital’ said a local police spokesman, without naming the deceased.

‘An investigation is underway, and CCTV is being used to try and find those responsible.’

Riot police were deployed trying to restore order using water cannons, tear gas and baton charges, but it got out of control with cars set on fire around the Porte de Saint-Cloud with rocket fireworks aimed at police.

Firefighters attempted to get fires under control with 264 vehicles were set alight.

Huge crowds were in the République, Bastille, and Nation, some of the worst violence, while in Bastille, a 23-year-old woman was seriously injured after falling onto barriers from a column.

A ring of steel was formed around the Champs-Élysées, with major department stores and banks using steel shutters to try and keep looters away.

Even PSG’s official club shops on the Champs, and at their stadium, were also barricaded over the weekend.

Despite this, a Foot Locker sports store on Champs-Élysées was broken into, and goods including multiple trainers stolen and a furniture store on the nearby Avenue Wagram has been looted, according to a police spokesman.

Outside Paris, in Grenoble, a car hit PSG fans, injuring four, with the driver, who turned himself in, believed to have acted unintentionally.

Despite the violence, most fans celebrated peacefully. About 5,400 police were deployed in anticipation of the celebrations.

Flares, fireworks, smashed bus shelters, and torched cars marked the chaos. Riot police used water cannons and tear gas to control crowds, particularly near the Arc de Triomphe and on the Paris ring road.

In Grenoble, a horrific car accident injured four family members, with a young woman critically injured and two others in intensive care.

The driver, who attempted a high-speed skid, fled but later surrendered to police. A source close to the investigation told AFP news agency it was believed the driver hadn’t acted intentionally.

Emergency services, including 27 police officers and 40 firefighters, responded, with many victims being treated at Grenoble Alpes University Hospital.

Fans blocked roads near Parc des Princes, leading to clashes with riot police using tear gas and batons.

Looting also occurred at stores on Champs-Élysées and Avenue Wagram, despite heavy security.

Masked youths caused further unrest, setting fires and fighting near the Eiffel Tower, which was lit in PSG blue and red colours.

Police issued a statement: “Troublemakers on the Champs-Elysees were looking to create incidents and repeatedly came into contact with police by throwing large fireworks and other objects,” police said in a statement.

French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau wrote via social media: “True PSG fans are getting excited about their team’s magnificent performance. Meanwhile, barbarians have taken to the streets of Paris to commit crimes and provoke law enforcement.

“I have asked the internal security forces to react vigorously to these abuses.

“I offer my support to the Police Prefect and all the police officers who are ensuring everyone’s safety this evening.

“It is unbearable that it is not possible to party without fearing the savagery of a minority of thugs who respect nothing.”

National Rally leader Jordan Bardella slammed the government’s response, stating: “The security risk of this evening was clearly underestimated, and the response was undersized. Paris is being handed over to the rioters.”

He added: “As with every popular festival, the French capital becomes a playground for thugs. Always the same profiles and always the same state impotence.”

An opposition politician Thomas Portes accusesd Interior Minister Retailleau of racism for using the term “barbarians,” writing: “We may have political disagreements, but the word ‘barbarian’ has no place coming from the mouth of the Interior Minister.”

French President Emmanuel Macron, a keen Marseille fan, celebrated amidst all the chaos unfolding, saying: “A glorious day for PSG! Bravo, we are all proud. Paris, the capital of Europe this evening.”

Rob Maul, Associate Sports Features Editor for The Sun, wrote: “Outside the Parc des Princes last night, it was carnage. Absolute carnage.

“Those who live within a few-mile radius of the club’s home ground had prepared for the worst, sensibly boarding up their shops and cafes in anticipation of mass trouble, and it proved to be a wise decision.

“Tens of thousands of people, mostly young men wearing PSG shirts, sprinted away from the club’s football ground and once they were outside of the wide police security perimeter, chaos ensued.

“Motorists had to take evasive action coming off the motorway slip-roads as people dangerously spilled into the street, throwing flares into their path.

“Soon, the traffic was completely stopped around Porte d’Auteuil as supporters started celebrating in the street – and even jumped on stationary cars.

“Coaches were blocked from moving forward and it was a surprise nobody was run over in the bedlam and disorder.

“One large truck did try to drive its way through the mayhem but dozens of blokes simply hitched a ride on the back.

“Smoke bombs were let off and some PSG Ultras brought along firework GUNS, shooting the pyrotechnics high into the Parisian sky at a frequent rate.

“I saw one woman hurt and needing attention from friends while others cowered for cover as fans rushed forward.

“Ambulances were called to the area and so, too, were fire trucks.

“And your SunSport correspondent had to sprint away for safety at one point when some of the remnants of the fireworks landed too close for his comfort.

“Most of the yobs would not have lived in the local area themselves but they saw this European success as an excuse to break the law and cause disruption.

“Some reckless parents even brought along their small children when really they should have all been at home.

“What was surprising was the lack of a police presence to control the lawless situation.

“There were reports of problems on the Champs-Élysées but in the well-to-do 16th arrondissement there was no police management or control.

“Almost as if they thought, well we have our perimeter, that is all we are doing, but away from that, you are on your own, lads…

“I had sympathy for those families trapped in their cars as they were surrounded by groups of young men.

“It could have all easily and quickly turned very nasty – imagine what it would have been like had Inter had won the final?

“One or two individuals did throw bottles at the odd police van trying to drive through the streets. Shards of glass were scattered all over the pavements.

“And inevitably, some poor souls will be the ones clearing up all the mess this morning left by the hooligans.”

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