Paris was in riots Monday night as the city celebrated their premier soccer club’s Ligue 1 title. David Beckham and his Paris St. Germain teammates celebrated with a parade through the streets of Paris that got out of hand quickly and forced riot police to step in.
The parade lasted all of five minutes as the fans lost control and began vandalizing everything in sight. According to Paris police commissioner Bernard Boucault, it took 800 police to contain the riot that ended with 30 injuries and 21 arrests.
Boucault also noted that the burst of violence lasted several hours as riot police worked into the night to contain the free-for-all. By the time it was all said and done, car windows had been smashed, local stores vandalized, and the Paris’ streets were in shambles.
The Paris riots may force Paris St. Germain from making many public appearances again in hopes of erasing any chance of violence.
“The conclusion you can draw is that there won’t be more any more events like this in a public place for Paris Saint-Germain,” Boucaulta said once order was restored.
The violent fiasco wasn’t brought on by any political concerns, public issues, or specific protest of any kind. Instead, the city was celebrating Paris St. Germain’s third French title in the club’s history after a 1-0 win over Lyon on Sunday .
It was the club’s first title in 19 years, a wait that onlookers obviously felt was much too long. The club’s players were immediately rushed to safety once the riots broke out and there are no plans for a make-up, nor should there be.
“Today should have been a day of celebration for the city of Paris,” the club said in a statement late Monday night. “The party was spoiled by a few hundred troublemakers who have nothing to do with football.”
Here’s video of the Paris riots that overshadowed the club’s French title celebration:
Fans that were hoping to share the moment with their favorite club never got the chance, as none of the planned speeches were made by manager Carlo Ancelotti or captain Thiago Silva.
Do you believe the Paris riots could’ve been prevented, or was there no stopping the violent outburst?
[Image via Mikael Marguerie ]