Enough is enough. In a strongly worded statement issued this Sunday morning, the 8th arrondissement district office in Paris has called for a “zero gathering” policy on the Champs-Élysées. This demand comes in response to the widespread violence that erupted Saturday evening after Paris Saint-Germain’s (PSG) triumph in the Champions League final against Arsenal.

“Saturday evening (…) the Avenue des Champs-Élysées and its surrounding areas ceased to be a place of celebration, transforming instead into an arena of urban guerrilla warfare,” the mayor’s office explained. Therefore, “since it is impossible to celebrate a match without it escalating into riots, the only sensible response is a new directive: zero gatherings.” This effectively means no more public assemblies on what is often referred to as the world’s most beautiful avenue.

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“Public impotence” in the face of violence

Catherine Lécuyer, the LR mayor of the 8th arrondissement, offered a harsh assessment of the situation. She described the night’s outcome as “an indictment of public impotence,” detailing “multiple acts of violence against law enforcement, mortar fire directed at police officers and residential buildings, burning of bins and vehicles, damage to police cars, and numerous instances of looting.” She further elaborated, “We are no longer managing overflows; we are enduring them. The preventative strategy has reached its limits. The concept of ‘zero damage’ no longer holds against the organized violence of groups who don’t even bother to disguise themselves as supporters,” the mayor’s office stated, expressing fears of “a fatal tragedy.” The statement concluded, “You don’t channel chaos; you eradicate it.”

Meanwhile, Minister of Interior Laurent Nuñez affirmed that the disturbances aligned with “the situation we had anticipated and thus prepared for.” A total of 283 individuals were apprehended in Paris and the greater Paris region. Approximately 8,000 police and gendarmes had been deployed to maintain order.

Despite these troubling incidents, the celebratory event planned for the return of the players and the Champions League trophy to the capital remains scheduled. It will take place at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, on the Champ-de-Mars, commencing at 4 PM this Sunday afternoon.