Post-PSG Champions League Victory Riots: Paris Police Chief Admits ‘a Form of Failure’ Despite Unprecedented Security Deployment

Following the unrest that marred celebrations of PSG’s Champions League victory, Paris police chief Laurent Nuñez has delivered a mixed assessment. While defending the scale of the police operation, he acknowledged that authorities failed to prevent certain violent and destructive incidents in the capital.

Clashes Despite 5,400 Police Officers Deployed

From Saturday night through the weekend, violent incidents erupted across Paris—particularly near the Parc des Princes and along the Champs-Élysées. Protesters briefly blocked the city’s ring road, while urban infrastructure was vandalized and vehicles set ablaze. The toll was heavy: at least one person dead, over 200 injured, and 570 arrests recorded in just 48 hours—figures described by Nuñez as “unprecedented.”

Speaking on BFMTV on Monday, June 2, Nuñez defended the deployment of 5,400 officers across the capital: “Of course it was sufficient. What some are calling chaos was, in fact, the police carrying out arrests and responding to unrest.”

A Strong Response, Yet Looting Went Unchecked

The police chief nevertheless admitted that some incidents occurred after the security presence had been scaled back late at night. “There was damage, and I’m not pleased. It is a form of failure, especially as we were unable to prevent looting along the Champs-Élysées,” he said in an interview with RTL, while firmly rejecting claims of a “security breakdown.”

According to Nuñez, the disturbances were carried out by groups intent on violence, not celebration: “They weren’t there for PSG. They came to provoke the police, to destroy and loot.”

Immediate Court Appearances Expected

Several individuals arrested over the weekend are set to face fast-track trials. For Nuñez, the firm judicial response will help restore order and deter future unrest: “Calling it a failure overlooks the hundreds of arrests made. That will have an impact. The State is responding with strength.”