FRANCE: RIOTS ENSUE AFTER PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN DEFEATS ARSENAL IN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Written by Michael Thervil

FRANCE: RIOTS ENSUE AFTER PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN DEFEATS ARSENAL IN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE | PHOTO BY | PADILLA/AP.

[France riots Paris Saint-Germain Arsenal Champions League] With Paris Saint-Germain defeating arsenal resulting them winning the Champions League, it led to a celebration that ended up becoming an aggressive rioting mob that not only engaged in acts of vandalism, theft, arson, public disorder, and physical assaults towards 57 officers being physically assaulted. At least 780 people that participated in the mob were arrested. Of the 780 arrested 277 people were booked into jail with 82 of them being minors. It should be noted that most of the fans who took to the streets to celebrate were peaceful. Most of the riots took place in western France's Champs Élysées neighborhood near the PSG’s in Parc des Princes; however, there were also riots reported in at least 15 other cities within France.

There were also at least three people that were injured with one of those individuals being severely injured during the riots that took place. Continuing with violent actions towards police, there were reports that there were some rioters that engaged in aiming fireworks and threw flares towards police officers. In some cases, cars were set on fire and the most brazen of the riots attempted to storm a police station in the upmarket, 8th Arrondissement neighborhood. In response police fired teargas back at the rioters. A total of 22,000 police officers were deployed to enforce and restore order. There were an estimated 20,000 people that made up the crowd total.

FRANCE: RIOTS ENSUE AFTER PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN DEFEATS ARSENAL IN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE | PHOTO BY | PADILLA/AP.

French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the violence that rioters engaged in but participated in the celebratory part of the event. President Macron stated:

"I don't want us to get used to it," Macron said at the ceremony. "This is not soccer, this is not sport, this is not what we love. We will be uncompromising with those who have been caught. We do not want to see this happen again. It's over. We've had enough. This must end."