While Paris Saint-Germain hosted Le Mans for the 6th day of Ligue 1, the Collectif Ultras Paris (CUP) took advantage of the meeting to show its support for the student movement which is currently shaking France. In the Virage Auteuil, Parisian supporters displayed a huge banner with an unequivocal message: “Your militias are repressing, our youth are resisting”. An assumed political position, while high school mobilizations have been increasing since mid-September to denounce the lack of resources in schools, overcrowded classes, degraded buildings and absences of teachers. Initially starting from the Paris region, these protests gradually spread to many French cities, with blockades of high schools and demonstrations bringing together thousands of young people. The movement took on new dimensions on October 6, a day of national mobilization which brought together 266,000 people according to official figures, while the organizers put forward a much higher toll. Beyond educational demands, demonstrators also denounce the interventions of law enforcement and demand that alleged police violence be investigated and punished. An anger which has now gone well beyond the gates of educational establishments to find its way into the stands of French football. Because in recent weeks, several controversial police interventions have fueled tensions.
Videos posted on social networks have sparked outrage after incidents involving minors during blockades or gatherings. As of October 9, the Ministry of the Interior reported 24 investigations opened by the IGPN since the start of the high school movement. The government called for dialogue while condemning the violence committed against the police. The Prime Minister, Sébastien Lecornu, recognized that “young people’s anger does not come from nowhere”promising first decisions at the end of October. Despite these announcements, the mobilization must continue in the coming days, with a new meeting set for October 17 by several supporters of the movement. It is in this climate that the CUP chose to send its message to the Parc des Princes. But the reaction of stadium security quickly turned this initiative into a major incident. The banner was removed shortly after its deployment, before reappearing briefly and then being removed again. As a sign of protest, the ultras then left Virage Auteuil and joined the corridors, boycotting part of the first period. They finally returned to their stands after the break, chanting in particular “Freedom for the ultras”.
The left congratulates Parisian supporters
As is often the case when a movement of PSG supporters enters the public debate, the sequence quickly sparked reactions within the political class. Several left-wing elected officials gave their support to the Parisian ultras, welcoming their solidarity with the mobilized high school students and seeing in this initiative an extension of the protests observed in the street. The mayor of Saint-Denis, Bally Bagayoko, reacted on X saluting a deployed banner “in support of student mobilization”. He took the opportunity to call for mobilization on October 17, evoking a “convergence of struggles and generations” and inviting demonstrators to join forces. The elected official, who had already distinguished himself during high school student rallies against the police, thus included the CUP’s gesture in a broader dynamic of social protest. In the same spirit, Ian Brossat, senator from Paris and figure in the French Communist Party, congratulated the Parisian supporters with an unambiguous message. “Bravo for this support for the high school movement”he wrote on the social network. Fabien Roussel, national secretary of the PCF, also applauded the initiative, sending his congratulations to the PSG ultras for their banner in solidarity with the high school students. “From the blockades to the stands, united in the face of the repression of the social movement. All my support! »he added.
Another elected official present at the Parc des Princes also reacted to this sequence, taking care to greet the two teams. Imane Bounouh, opposition municipal councilor in Le Mans, congratulated the Parisian players while sending a message of support to supporters and visitors from Sarthe. “Well done team and well done ultras for the tifo in support of high school students, well done to those who made the trip from Le Mans. Long live popular football! »she published. This reaction illustrates the way in which the mobilization of the stands can quickly go beyond the sporting framework to become a subject of political discussion. The removal of the banner also raised questions about the limits of political expression in stadiums, particularly when the messages directly target the action of public authorities and law enforcement. For the elected officials who spoke, the CUP’s gesture represents above all a mark of solidarity with mobilized youth and a social movement whose demands are no longer limited to study conditions.
The MP for La France insoumise, Ersilia Soudais, also gave her support to the Parisian supporters. “Proud of the PSG supporters. Yes, sport is political! »she wrote on With this new release, the Virage Auteuil banner goes even further beyond the scope of football and is at the heart of public debate. The fact remains that this episode also raises a central question for clubs and competition organizers, that of the place given to political messages in sports venues. At the Parc des Princes, the decision to remove the banner provoked an immediate reaction from supporters and aroused public support from left-wing elected officials. At a time when high school mobilizations must continue, this sequence risks causing a lot of ink to flow in the coming hours, on both the right and the left of the board.
