Paris police arrest at least 74 as violence erupts in French capital after World Cup

Violence flared in the French capital of Paris late on Saturday, December 10. According to Le Parisien, at least 74 people were arrested in the vicinity of the city’s famous Champs-Elysees boulevard. The nationalities of those detained were not specified by the publication. 

Around 20,000 people had gathered there in a festive atmosphere following the nation’s victory over England in the 2022 Qatar World Cup earlier in the night. Local reports said that the detained troublemakers had been ‘throwing projectiles and fireworks at the police’. At midnight the police were still actively dealing with a large crowd.

Un chantier est pillé et des projectiles sont lancés sur les policiers. Gaz lacrymogène. Tensions en cours sur les #ChampsÉlysées. #Morocco pic.twitter.com/QhtmzWnm6f

— Clément Lanot (@ClementLanot) December 10, 2022

#Breaking: Just in – Total anarchy is erupting on the #ChampsÉlysées in #Paris, #France, after Moroccan fans started fighting and rioting towards the French police. Reports that reinforcements have been called in to bring the peace back on the streets. pic.twitter.com/OqUNrtH1Bx

— Sotiri Dimpinoudis (@sotiridi) December 10, 2022

A special security operation aimed at: ‘fighting crime, to ensure the safety of goods and people in Paris, in the inner suburbs, and in public transport’, had been announced in advance on Friday 9 for this Saturday evening.

There were fears that fans of not only France but Morocco could take to the streets as both teams were playing in the tournament’s quarter-finals on the same day. Morocco shocked Portugal 1-0, while France sent England home with a 2-1 victory. These results mean that the two nations will now meet in the semi-final.

As a result, 1,220 police and gendarmes were deployed from 4pm in the capital. ‘A specific operation was also put in place on the avenue des Champs-Elysees, in order to prevent any disturbance to public order likely to be generated by supporters and to fight against all the phenomena of delinquency’, specified the prefecture of Paris police.