It’s time for the Champions League grand final between PSG and Arsenal. At 6 p.m. this evening, the two best teams in Europe compete for the crown, which is still on Parisian heads since last year, and their victory against Inter. A new success would bring this team into the league of the greats, those who have managed to keep the trophy two years in a row. If this is the case, the party promises to be beautiful. She will also be at risk according to the police.
The police force also promises to be very dense. It’s even an exceptional weekend due to a “rarely seen concomitance of events», Specifies the Paris prefecture. In addition to the final, which is being played in Budapest (Hungary) but which most Parisian supporters will attend from France, other demonstrations requisitioning the police are taking place such as Roland-Garros, but also, still in the same district, a rugby match from the Stade Français to the Jean-Bouin stadium.
8,000 police and gendarmes mobilized
A few kilometers to the west, the Danso concert at Paris La Defense Arena, in addition to that of Bouss at the Accor Arena to the east of the capital, and especially that of Aya Nakamura at the Stade de France, require the concentration of numerous police officers. “All these events are linked, there will be connections between, some will want to attend several and there is a strong risk to public order», alerts the prefecture. In all, 8,000 police officers and gendarmes will patrol Paris and the inner suburbs. There were 5,400 for last year’s final.
Certain key points will be particularly monitored such as the Trocadéro, the party venue planned in the event of a Parisian victory, the Halles, the upper part of the Champs-Élysées and the public transport hubs. Squadrons of motorcycles, more mobile and with rapid projection, will be deployed as well as drones. 2,500 firefighters will also be on deck. “I would like to remind you that police officers, very often, like football and would like it to be a popular celebration. It’s not a pleasure mission, this evening, to run after all these people who, potentially, could vandalize the streets of Paris», recalls Jérôme Jimenez, delegate of the Alliance Police union on RMC. Last year’s system was unable to prevent some of the looting and damage.
