Following Paris Saint-Germain’s (PSG) historic victory in the Champions League, celebrations across France, particularly in Paris, were overshadowed by significant unrest, leading to the apprehension of 780 individuals nationwide. The joyous occasion took a tragic turn as a 24-year-old man lost his life on the capital’s périphérique, while a 17-year-old remains in a coma after a stabbing incident.
As the final whistle blew, tensions immediately flared. On the iconic Champs-Élysées, groups of young individuals vandalized a bus shelter, prompting a swift response from a small contingent of police officers attempting to disperse them. Near the Parc des Princes, at Porte de Saint-Cloud, security forces faced a barrage of firework mortars, retaliating with tear gas and initiating the first wave of arrests. Later in the evening, a cluster of self-service bicycles was set ablaze, escalating the chaos into direct confrontations between youth and law enforcement amidst the Champs-Élysées.
The Boulevard Périphérique became impassable, swarmed by dozens of two-wheelers, some driving dangerously against traffic, with pedestrians navigating through moving vehicles. A 24-year-old motorcyclist tragically died after colliding head-on with a concrete barrier erected to block traffic. In the early hours, a 17-year-old sustained multiple stab wounds and is currently in a coma.
57 police and gendarmes injured
By Sunday morning, the Minister of Interior confirmed that 57 police officers and gendarmes had sustained injuries across the country. Laurent Nuñez highlighted a noticeable surge in the use of firework mortars against internal security forces during interventions. Footage from the 8th arrondissement of Paris captured one individual discharging a rapid succession of these fireworks.
Disruptions and clashes extended beyond the capital, affecting approximately fifteen cities throughout France, including Grenoble in Isère, where several shops were vandalized and looted. According to the Minister of Interior, a total of 780 people were detained nationwide during the night of Saturday, May 30, to Sunday, May 31, with 457 individuals still held in police custody.