Soccer-PSG victory over Arsenal triggers night of disorder in Paris
PARIS (Reuters) -Some 47 people were arrested in Paris and three others were injured after being struck by a car late on Wednesday, said French police, after Paris St Germain's victory over Arsenal which secured their place in the Champions League final.
Three people were injured - one critically - after being struck by a car at midnight near the capital's iconic Champs-Elysees as PSG fans gathered to celebrate their semi-final win, said a Paris police source.
In the incident, captured on video, a driver was surrounded by supporters, with some climbing onto the vehicle. The driver then appeared to accelerate, striking several pedestrians which led to the car being attacked by angry fans.
The driver and a passenger fled the scene on foot, the video showed. The driver has not yet been found, Paris police chief Laurent Nunez told RTL radio.
The streets of the French capital were packed with rejoicing fans after Ligue 1 title holders PSG secured a 3-1 aggregate win over English Premier League side Arsenal to reach their second Champions League final.
Thousands of supporters had flooded the Champs-Elysees throughout the night, lighting flares, waving flags, and chanting in celebration, with tensions rising later.
A heavy police presence was brought in to restore calm, with sporadic clashes erupting between fans and security forces.
"The atmosphere began in a festive manner. And then, as usual, we had small groups of people with very bad intentions who attacked law enforcement and then attempted to cause damage," Nunez said.
French interior minister Bruno Retailleau described it as "unacceptable violence" in a post on X.
One police officer was reportedly injured by a projectile while several cars were damaged and a trash can was set on fire.
(Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk and Dominique Patton in Paris; Editing by Ken Ferris)
