Riots were registered in several French cities due to discontent over the defeat of France against Argentina in the final of the Qatar 2022 World Cup
The defeat of France against Argentina in the final of the Qatar 2022 World Cup did not prevent groups of fans from meeting in some French cities and that in some places the situation degenerated into altercations and clashes with the police, who arrested 227 people. 47 of them in and around Paris.
The Ministry of the Interior published this Monday, December 19, that the events caused riots in several French cities, due to the discontent and discouragement that arose after the game.
Some violent launched artifice mortars against the forces of order, who had organized an important deployment, especially in the event of a victory for the ‘bleus’, with 14,000 agents throughout France.
?? | THE LATEST: Riots in Paris after France’s loss to Argentina. They report injuries and arrests. #Qatar2022 pic.twitter.com/ryvEGBWUcc
– World Alert (@ AlertaMundial2) December 18, 2022
On the avenue des Champs-Élysées, traffic had been cut off as a preventive measure, and it remained interrupted until nightfall.
In Lyon, the daily Le Progress tells how in the center of that city “groups of rioters” met in the iconic Bellecour square, the usual space for the celebrations, where they also fired artifice mortars, burned trash cans and looted some shops, which led law enforcement to to intervene.
In fact, the Prefecture (government delegation) explained on its Twitter account that the participants in the riots directed projectiles at the agents, who responded “proportionately to disperse hostile individuals.”
In practice, they used tear gas and a truck equipped with a pressurized water cannon and made several arrests.
Several police officers were slightly injured in incidents that, according to the Prefecture, ended around 10:00 p.m.
In the city of Grenoble incidents occurred shortly after the end of the World Cup final match in Qatar.
The newspaper Le Dauphiné Libéré states that litter bins and containers were burned with which the tram tracks were clogged and artifice projectiles were launched at law enforcement, who intervened as the night progressed to retake control of the main crossings.
In Nice, there were riots in the center around the Jean Médecin sector, indicated the mayor of the city, Christian Estrosi, who in his twitter account noted that law enforcement was “fully mobilized to ensure security.”
Estrosi condemned “with the greatest firmness the actions of the criminals who attacked the forces of order and burned containers” and called for “tough sanctions.”
Confusion about the meeting
Confusion reigns in France, this Monday, December 19, thanks to a possible meeting with the fans and the players of the French team on their return from Qatar, after the French Football Federation (FFF) announced the organization of an event in Paris shortly after its president, Noel le Graet, stated otherwise.
In a message to the press, the FFF announced that Les Bleus should take off from the emirate at 11:30 GMT and arrive in Paris at 18:30 GMT, at Roissy airport, before greeting the public around 19:30 GMT on the square of the Concord of the capital.
This statement contradicts the statements of the president of the FFF, who indicated the exact opposite minutes before on the BFMTV network.
“The players want to go home. There will be no tour of the Champs Elysées and the march of the players is scheduled for after landing. When you don’t win, you’re not in the mood, in any case, in the mood to walk around the Champs-Élysées or elsewhere”, added the leader. “They have been away for more than a month and have already given satisfaction. They want to go home as quickly as possible.”
When questioned by the Agence France-Presse (AFP), the police prefecture stated that it had no information in this regard, while the Sports Ministry confirmed the event, referring to the FFF communication.
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