PSG champion: 15 French cities erupt in violent riots

The festivities for Paris Saint-Germain's second straight Champions League victory rapidly devolved into violent unrest across 15 cities in France, resulting in one fatality and hundreds of casualties.

In the early morning of May 31, right after Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) defeated Arsenal in a thrilling penalty shootout in Budapest to successfully defend their crown Champions League, the wave of celebrations among fans back home quickly spiraled out of control.

An estimated 20,000 fans flooded the Champs-Élysées and the Arc de Triomphe area, setting off flares and honking horns in chaos. However, the joy of victory was quickly overshadowed by severe street riots, plunging the capital Paris and many localities into turmoil.

According to an official report from the French Ministry of the Interior, violence erupted simultaneously in 15 major cities, including Rennes, Strasbourg, and Grenoble. Rioters repeatedly smashed and looted shops, set fire to numerous cars, trash bins, and public bicycle rental stations.

In the 8th arrondissement of central Paris, a group of rioters even daringly organized an attack, attempting to storm a police station before being dispersed by authorities using strong measures.

The consequences of the violent night were catastrophic, with over 200 people injured and a 23-year-old man killed after crashing his motorcycle into a concrete block amid the chaos.

In the 16th arrondissement, a 17-year-old teenager was also in critical condition after being stabbed multiple times near the Champs-Élysées. Additionally, a vehicle spun out of control and crashed into an outdoor seating area of a restaurant, seriously injuring two people. Law enforcement also suffered heavy losses, with 57 police officers injured in the line of duty.

Facing the security instability, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez had to mobilize a large-scale operation with over 20,000 officers to suppress the riots, asserting that the violence was "under control."

Security agencies arrested a total of 780 rioters across the country, with 480 in the Paris region alone. The Paris Prosecutor's Office stated that 277 people have been formally detained, including 82 minors, on charges of assaulting police, theft, and public disorder.

The issue of football-related violence is sounding a major alarm in France, as similar scenarios occurred last year. Politicians in the country immediately spoke out in strong criticism.

Ms. Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally party, angrily declared: "Only in France does a football club's victory cause riots."while calling for tougher security policies to contain the "pressure cooker" of society that is ready to explode at any moment.