PSG-Inter Milan: In Paris, a "massive" force of "5,400" police officers and gendarmes mobilized
With a parade planned for Sunday on the Champs-Élysées in the event of a victory, Bruno Retailleau does not want to relive the chaos that cost his predecessor so much in 2022.
It's a dangerous night for security forces in France. The Champions League final between PSG and Inter Milan , this Saturday, May 31, in Munich, must not be used as a pretext for unrest in major French cities, and not just in Paris, regardless of the result. This Friday, Police Prefect Laurent Nuñez announced a " massive " deployment of 5,400 police officers and gendarmes.
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau is aware of the international significance of this event, which could become a veritable negative echo chamber if violence were to break out in the streets during this major sporting event.
The predecessor of the new right-wing strongman at Beauvau knows all about this. Gérald Darmanin waited three years to apologize to Liverpool fans, unfairly accused of being responsible for a veritable security chaos in 2022, during the Champions League final against Real Madrid at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis. The blame lay with the gangs of suburban thugs who looted and assaulted British and Spanish fans around the stadium. His image was damaged.
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In an interview with the YouTube channel Legend, which has been broadcast since May 4, Gérald Darmanin acknowledged having "sinned by preconceived ideas." He even declared: "Our security system is not designed for that at all. They are CRS, mobile gendarmes with big boots and shields, they are not great for running. To fight crime, you need BAC guys in sneakers, we chose the wrong system, we were expecting a hooligan war and we got people who came to commit rackets."
This time, the adjustment meetings between crowd control professionals began several weeks ago to adapt to threats in city centers. Last Friday, France's top cop himself chaired a sort of mini-security council involving all stakeholders, from football authorities to the major police departments concerned, starting with the Paris police headquarters, headed by Laurent Nuñez.
The planned system is intended to be commensurate with the challenges: more than twenty mobile force units deployed across the country, or approximately 2,000 CRS (riot police), members of Parisian intervention companies, and mobile gendarmes, most of whom are in the Île-de-France region. Not to mention the thousands of police officers from police stations, who will be heavily mobilized, with the support of the famous anti-crime brigades (BAC), but also with other specialized units on the alert. This is to ensure that as many potential troublemakers are arrested as possible. Even the Parisian BRI (Rescue Brigade) is expected to maintain an intervention reserve at 36 Quai des Orfèvres.
Particular attention will be paid to the Champs-Élysées and its surroundings in Paris. They were the scene of clashes and damage committed by hordes of thugs who were able to elude the vigilance of the authorities during the PSG-Arsenal semi-final on May 7. Despite around fifty arrests on the spot, this episode with relatively modest judicial consequences sounded like a warning. Bruno Retailleau immediately denounced the "hyperviolence" of "individuals who simply come to indulge in their favorite activities: disturbing public order."
On May 31, the challenge will be to ensure security without curbing the popular jubilation in the event of a Parisian victory. Prefect Nuñez must also take into account the risk of an isolated incident, such as a vehicle being driven against the public, like the tragedy that just occurred on May 26 in Liverpool , where a car rammed into the city left around fifty people injured, four of them seriously, during the city club's parade to celebrate its Premier League triumph.
The authorities have also agreed to the principle of a parade on the Champs-Élysées on Sunday, June 1st , the day after the final, in the event of a triumph. On the evening of the match, the Parc des Princes area will also be under heavy surveillance. The match will be broadcast on giant screens inside the stadium for fans. PSG has even sold 10,000 additional seats to fill the stadium. It can hold 48,000 spectators. And if any disturbances are observed as of June 31st, the June 1st parade could be canceled. Enough to deter the thugs? Nothing less certain. A big party is still planned for Sunday evening at the Parc des Princes, after the parade. And in between, the President of the Republic could receive the PSG players if they were to triumph.
To prevent any excesses, the Minister of the Interior has asked his police officers and gendarmes to be as proactive as possible, and the justice system has planned to increase its presence at the Paris prosecutor's office, in particular, to handle any potential large-scale police custody. On the day of the sporting event, as usual, and even the following day if necessary, screening points will be established to access sensitive areas, and bag searches will be conducted to prevent possible abuses by rioters within the crowd.
Law enforcement officials have been instructed to prevent the intrusion of fireworks, bladed weapons, pétanque balls, metal bolts, iron bars, baseball bats, paving stones, and other weapons by destination. Police will be present in advance at train stations to identify gangs. Furthermore, those on the "S" list for violence among PSG supporters will be closely monitored, and some will have to report to the police station at the time of the match.
In Marseille, the Bouches-du-Rhône police headquarters is preparing for all scenarios. It is particularly concerned that a possible PSG victory could provoke knee-jerk reactions from local fans, who consider the Parisian club a hereditary enemy and who would take a very dim view of it equaling Marseille's feat of 1993. Tapie's OM is so far the only club to have won this competition. "Forever the first," as the Marseillais proudly say. Beauvau must prepare for every eventuality.
lefigaro
