Paris’s 8th arrondissement mayor calls for “zero gathering” on champs-élysées after psg victory riots

Citing an unacceptable escalation of disorder, the 8th arrondissement’s municipal office in Paris issued a strong statement this Sunday morning, demanding a policy of “zero gathering” on the Champs-Élysées. This urgent call comes in response to the violent incidents that erupted on Saturday night following the UEFA Champions League final, where Paris Saint-Germain faced Arsenal.

“On Saturday evening,” the city hall’s statement detailed, “the Champs-Élysées avenue and its surrounding areas ceased to be a place of celebration, instead transforming into an arena of urban guerrilla warfare.” Consequently, the municipality argues, “since it has become impossible to celebrate a match without descending into widespread rioting, the only sensible solution is a new doctrine: ‘zero gathering’.” This effectively means an end to all public assemblies on the world-renowned avenue.

“Public impotence” in the face of urban violence

Catherine Lécuyer, the LR mayor for the 8th arrondissement, presented a scathing assessment of the night’s events. She characterized the outcome as “an indictment of public impotence,” detailing “numerous acts of violence against law enforcement, mortar fire directed at police officers and residences, burning trash bins and vehicles, damage to police cars, and widespread looting.” Lécuyer further elaborated: “We are no longer managing these overflows; we are enduring them. The preventative strategy has reached its limits. The ‘zero damage’ concept is no longer viable against the organized violence perpetrated by groups who don’t even bother to disguise themselves as supporters.” The city hall expressed grave concerns about the potential for “a fatal tragedy,” concluding emphatically: “We do not channel chaos; we eradicate it.”

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez stated that the disturbances aligned with “the situation we had foreseen and consequently anticipated.” A total of 283 individuals were apprehended across Paris and its surrounding region. Approximately 8,000 police and gendarmerie officers had been deployed to uphold public order.

Despite these chaotic scenes, the planned celebration for the return of the players and the UEFA Champions League trophy to the capital will proceed as scheduled. This event is set to take place at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, on the Champ-de-Mars, starting at 4 PM this Sunday.