Paris wavered through the night with joy – and partly lost control. After Paris Saint-Germain reached the UEFA Champions League final, some parts of the French capital turned into a noisy sea of car horns, flares and chants. But while thousands celebrated the victory over FC Bayern, a bitter aftertaste remained the following morning.
The Vivre ensemble exhibition by renowned photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand, located at Place de la Concorde, was particularly affected. Numerous large-format photographic panels lay overturned on the ground, damaged or torn from their anchors. Images that were meant to celebrate social cohesion became victims of blind destruction on a night of collective euphoria. It is hard to find a greater irony.
The photographer reacted with visible disappointment. In a short video, he spoke with that mixture of sarcasm and frustration that probably only develops when idealism collides with the reality of asphalt. “Apparently PSG fans really loved the exhibition,” he said dryly, inviting volunteers to help rebuild the damaged installation. A sentence, half joke, half resignation.
The night was also chaotic in other places. In the Trocadéro, Alma and Concorde areas, there were disturbances, acts of vandalism and clashes with the police. Groups of young men moved through the streets, setting off fireworks and at times even attempting to access the entrances to the Paris ring road. The police responded with a massive presence, repeatedly dispersing the gatherings.
According to the Interior Ministry, police arrested 127 people, more than one hundred of them directly in Paris. Eleven people were injured, including one seriously due to a pyrotechnic rocket. Around half past two in the morning, the situation slowly calmed down. Paris breathed a sigh of relief – even if the city no longer looked orderly.
The scenes once again raise a question that in France almost becomes a ritual after major football evenings: why does unbridled joy so often turn into aggression? Of course, tens of thousands of people celebrated peacefully. Families were on balconies, people danced on car hoods, strangers embraced. But as so often happens, a few dozen hooligans are enough to shape the image of an entire night.
In view of the final against Arsenal F.C. on 30 May in Budapest, the authorities have already announced a major deployment of security forces. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez has promised “systematic interventions” in the event of further unrest. At the same time, the planned Paris Fan Zone is already causing political tensions between the city administration and the police. Behind the scenes, there is a palpable sense of tension.
Paris loves football. But sometimes this love seems like a match in a room full of gasoline vapors.
Andreas M. B.