More than 500 people were arrested by police and 2 died during the festivities celebrating Paris Saint-Germain's (PSG) first UEFA Champions League (UCL) victory, according to reports by Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Jan. 1 (local time).
The French Ministry of the Interior stated that a total of 559 people were arrested, including 491 in Paris and others from different regions, late at night on the 31st of last month. Most of those arrested are charged with possessing fireworks and disrupting public order near the Champs-Élysées and PSG's home stadium, Parc des Princes.
Those arrested are said to have clashed repeatedly with police while throwing fireworks and other objects. AFP reported that police used water cannons to prevent crowds from approaching the Arc de Triomphe at the end of the Champs-Élysées.
Earlier, on the 31st of last month, Paris police closed shops along the Champs-Élysées and prohibited vehicle traffic in certain areas around the Arc de Triomphe starting at 7 p.m. This was a measure to prepare for possible incidents depending on the outcome of the final match against Inter Milan (Italy) in the 2024-2025 UCL. PSG defeated Inter Milan 5-0 and claimed the championship, marking the first time PSG won the UCL in its 55-year history.
While police prepared for possible situations, it was insufficient. According to the Ministry of the Interior, 2 people died and 192 were reported injured due to incidents that occurred during the celebrations.
In Paris, a pedestrian on a scooter was hit and killed by a car. In Dax, in the southwest, a teenage boy was stabbed and also died.