It was a turbulent night for the police. Clashes broke out between police and fans on the Champs-Élysées in the wake of Morocco’s 1-0 victory over Portugal in the quarter-finals of the Qatari World Cup. The police were fired upon with fireworks, with the latter responding with tear gas. According to an initial report by the police prefecture and reported by Le Parisien on the night of 10 December, at least 74 people were arrested.
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
More than 20 000 people gathered on the world’s most beautiful avenue to celebrate Morocco’s victory, but also that of the French team, which beat England. Some 1 220 police and gendarmes were mobilised for the occasion.
The evening began in a festive atmosphere, the situation degenerated around midnight with the arrival of groups of young people who came to fight with the police. According to Figaro journalist Luc Lenoir, who was present at the scene, “cohorts of young people dressed in jogging suits, whose desire to fight, not only with the police but also with the facades of shops,” attacked the police, who charged to disperse the crowd.
The most violent clashes took place at the Place de l’Étoile, where the situation was “very difficult for the police”. Many people were gathered there and the police intervened regularly to disperse the crowds. “At the Dior shop, around 25 Avenue des Champs-Élysées, there were strong smells of tear gas. Many young people in sportswear”, Lenoir said.
At least 74 people were arrested, according to the latest report released around midnight by the prefecture. It should also be noted that similar incidents took place in other French cities, notably in Avignon, where 600 supporters had gathered in the city centre. As reported by La Provence, the police were pelted with rocks by the crowd before firing tear gas grenades in response.