PARIS (AP) — French authorities detained an additional 79 people as violence continued to disrupt PSG's celebrations of its historic Champions League title, the Paris police chief said on Monday.
After more than 100,000 people welcomed the return of PSG players to the French capital following their 5-0 thrashing of Inter Milan in the Champions League final on Saturday, a second night of scattered incidents ensued.
Laurent Nunez, the Paris police prefect, told RTL radio that groups of individuals gathered close to PSG stadium and on the Champs-Elysees avenue after midnight, causing trouble. Nunez said some using barriers blocked the main ring road surrounding Paris for a while, and that other troublemakers set off fireworks and tried to vandalize shops.
Nunez said calm was restored at 3:30 a.m. on Monday.
PSG had earlier put on an open-top bus parade in the city for its fans. The winners of European club soccer’s biggest prize arrived in Paris on Sunday afternoon and headed to France’s most famous avenue, the Champs-Élysées, which overnight Saturday saw acts of violence and clashes with riot police.
Police had made more than 500 arrests across France on Saturday night.
“The overall number of arrests is very high, it is completely unprecedented,” Nunez said.
Celebrations were largely peaceful but degenerated into violence in some areas. A 17-year-old boy was stabbed to death in the western city of Dax during a PSG street party after the final, the national police service said. In Paris, a man in his 20s was killed in Paris when his scooter was hit by a car during PSG celebrations.
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The Associated Press
