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Jun
TWO FANS DIE, POLICE OFFICER INJURED IN VIOLENT CELEBRATIONS AFTER PSG’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE WIN
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CapitalTimesNews / 2 months
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- 2 min read
Two fans died a police officer is in a coma after mass nationwide celebrations for Paris Saint-Germain’s historic Champions League victory. The fatalities marred a night of exuberance after PSG clinched its first Champions League title, in a 5-0 win over Inter Milan. The Eiffel Tower glowed in team colors, and fans partied through the night. However, the celebrations turned violent in some areas, with fans throwing projectiles at firefighters and police using dispersion grenades. A 17-year-old boy was stabbed to death in the western city of Dax during a PSG street party, while a man in his 20s was killed in Paris when his scooter was hit by a car during PSG celebrations. A police officer was hit accidentally by fireworks at a PSG gathering in Coutances in northwest France and placed in an artificial coma because of grave eye injuries. The team and French officials are hoping to focus on the victory instead of the violence, with up to 110,000 people allowed along the iconic Champs-Elysees avenue for a parade. The Paris police chief, Laurent Nunez, blamed the scattered troubles on “thousands of people who came to commit acts of violence” instead of watching the match. He noted similar unrest on the sidelines of prior celebrations in the capital, such as after France’s World Cup win in 2018. A total of 201 people were injured around the capital, four of them seriously. The police made 294 arrests, including 30 people who broke into a shoe shop on the Champs-Elysees. Two cars were set alight close to Parc des Princes. PSG denounced the violence, saying that the title “should be a moment of collective joy.” The team added that “these isolated acts are contrary to the club’s values, and don’t at all represent the immense majority of our fans.”
