PSG Champions League victory celebrations in Paris turn tense: 45 detained, officer injured as 20,000 flood Champs-Élysées

Mass celebrations on the Champs-Élysées

Some 20,000 people gathered on the Champs-Élysées on Saturday evening, 30 May, to celebrate Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League final victory over Arsenal, according to the Paris police prefecture. The crowd swelled after the final whistle, with 4,000 to 5,000 people already present during the match before thousands more converged on the famous avenue.

Clashes and arrests

Tensions flared in several locations across the capital. By 22:00, 79 people had been arrested in Paris, leading to 45 individuals being placed in police custody. One police officer was injured. Authorities also seized 24 torches and around a hundred mortars. Six vehicles and two businesses — a bakery and a restaurant near Porte de Saint-Cloud — were vandalised.

Our responsibility is to guarantee everyone a popular, serene and fully secure celebration.

Violence near the Parc des Princes

Around 150 individuals attempted to force entry through a gate at the Parc des Princes, where the final was being screened. A police manoeuvre pushed them back and restored calm shortly afterwards. The Boulevard Périphérique was briefly overrun. Later, clashes erupted between police and supporters near Porte de Saint-Cloud, with fireworks mortars launched at officers, who responded with tear gas. An AFP journalist observed continuous firework fire and young people climbing onto a fire truck.

Earlier incidents and security deployment

Even before the match ended, tensions were building. By 19:30, 1,579 checks had been carried out, resulting in 64 fines. Twenty people were arrested and ten placed in custody at that stage, with 24 torches and two mortars seized. A bus shelter was damaged on Avenue de la Boétie, close to the Champs-Élysées. Projectiles were thrown at security forces near the avenue.

We have a very robust, very solid system.

A massive security operation

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez praised the security arrangements, which involved 22,000 police officers and gendarmes nationwide, including 8,000 for Paris and its suburbs. The prefecture said it had meticulously prepared the security plan for the Champions League final alongside other major events in the capital that evening, including a rugby match, the Roland-Garros tennis tournament, and concerts by Aya Nakamura at the Stade de France and rapper Damso at Paris La Défense Arena. Last year, 5,400 officers were deployed in Paris and its suburbs, with 563 arrests and 307 police custodies recorded.