The 8th arrondissement’s local government has declared an end to public celebrations on the Champs-Élysées after Saturday night’s chaotic aftermath of PSG’s Champions League victory over Arsenal.

In a strongly worded statement released Sunday morning, officials declared, “The Champs-Élysées and its surroundings stopped being a space for celebration and became an urban battleground.”

Emphasizing the stark reality, the statement added, “Since it’s impossible to celebrate a match without descending into riots, the only sensible solution is a new policy: zero gatherings.” This means no more public assemblies on what is often called the world’s most beautiful avenue.

“Public powerlessness” in the face of chaos

Catherine Lécuyer, the mayor of the 8th arrondissement and a member of the Les Républicains party, painted a grim picture. She described the night’s events as “a damning indictment of public powerlessness,” highlighting “multiple attacks on law enforcement, mortar fire at police and residential buildings, burning trash bins and vehicles, police vehicle damage, and widespread looting.”

She continued, “We are no longer managing these outbursts; we are enduring them. Preventive strategies have reached their limits. The ‘zero damage’ concept no longer holds against the violence of organized gangs who no longer even bother disguising themselves as supporters.” The mayor expressed fear of a “fatal incident” and concluded, “We don’t contain chaos; we eradicate it.”

Despite the exemplary professionalism of our law enforcement, the ‘zero damage’ strategy has failed.

We therefore urge the government to adopt a new approach: banning high-risk gatherings.

Let’s move to ‘zero gatherings’ to protect the Champs-Élysées.

Meanwhile, the French Interior Minister, Laurent Nuñez, acknowledged that the unrest aligned with “the situation we had anticipated and prepared for.” Authorities reported 283 arrests in Paris and the surrounding region, with 8,000 police officers and gendarmes deployed to maintain order.

Despite the disturbances, the official celebration for PSG’s victory and the trophy’s arrival in the capital remains scheduled. The event is set to take place at the Champ-de-Mars, near the Eiffel Tower, starting at 4:00 PM on Sunday.