Paris police detained 45 people after violence disrupted celebrations today of Paris Saint-Germain’s second Champions League title win and a group tried to storm a police station in the French capital.
Fans began celebrating in Paris after the final whistle earlier in the evening in Budapest, Hungary, where PSG won by beating Arsenal on penalties in a dramatic final.
Dozens of fans marched along the avenues near the Arc de Triomphe, with some setting off flares and blaring car horns. Around 20,000 people gathered on the Champs-Elysees, with police working to contain the crowd.
The Paris police prefecture said smaller groups caused disturbances in various locations, with some vandalising shops and setting fires. Cars were also set ablaze. One police officer was injured. Those who attempted to storm a police station in the posh 8th Arrondissement neighbourhood were dispersed, police said.
It said that by 10pm, 45 people were taken into custody.
The main ring road surrounding Paris was briefly blockaded by a crowd before police dispersed it. Police also said one bakery and a restaurant were damaged.
Officers also contained about 1000 people gathered near the PSG stadium in the 16th Arrondissement and cleared barricades made from bicycles.
In May last year following PSG’s first title, when 201 people were injured in the French capital, four of them seriously, and police made more than 500 arrests across France, Paris was on high alert, with 8000 police officers deployed across the city.
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