One dead motorcyclist who crashed into railings, 219 injuries to civilians and police officers, (eight of which are considered serious), 780 arrests, shop looting and vandalism, is, according to the French Ministry of the Interior, the sad result of the riots that broke out last night in Paris and other French cities, where hundreds of thousands of French people were celebrating the fact that for the second year running Paris Saint-Germain is the European football champion.
According to all indications, yesterday’s riots were on a larger scale than last year’s riots during which 457 suspected illegal acts were arrested. This despite the fact that 22,000 police officers were “on the war footing.”
Paris mayor Emmanuel Gregoire said in a statement that Paris Saint-Germain’s victory is a historic moment for Paris and that the vast majority of the city’s residents celebrated it with joy, unity and respect. However, he continued, acts of violence that are unacceptable and unjustifiable should not be concealed.
French political figures and parties also condemned the incidents. Following all this, it was decided not to hold today’s festivities to welcome the footballers on the Champs Elysees’ Avenue, but on the Field of Mars, where the area is much easier to control by the police authorities. Festivities will also take place this evening at the Paris Saint-Germain stadium. The plane carrying the Paris Saint-Germain players and other Paris Saint-Germain officials has already taken off from Budapest and is expected to arrive in Paris in the early evening hours.
