The Champions League match between Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona will take place this Tuesday in Paris, despite the wave of violence, looting, and protests that rocked France over the weekend. Authorities confirmed that the match remains on the schedule, although the situation will require enhanced security measures.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez confirmed that the match at Parc des Princes will not be canceled, after the government considered the possibility of suspending certain events in light of the severity of the unrest reported in various cities across the country.
“But this does not apply to tomorrow’s match between PSG and FC Barcelona,” said Nuñez, who also assured that other European competition matches scheduled for this week will not be affected.
Among them is Lille’s match against Galatasaray, scheduled for Wednesday in northern France, an area where damage and looting at commercial establishments were also reported.
France Steps Up Security Amid Unrest
The violence over the weekend affected city halls, public buildings, and hundreds of businesses, in addition to leading to more than 2,000 arrests throughout France.
Images of the clashes and looting caused a stir both within and outside the country, amid a social climate marked by weeks of student protests that have kept police forces under pressure.
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced on Monday that he had ordered prefects to impose limited, localized curfews in certain cities, with the aim of preventing further acts of violence and looting. Details regarding the areas where these restrictions will apply will be announced at a later date.
Security surrounding the PSG-Barcelona match poses an additional challenge for authorities, especially following the incidents in May, when police arrested dozens of people during the celebrations for Paris Saint-Germain’s second Champions League title. On that occasion, riots disrupted the celebrations, and a group attempted to storm a police station in Paris.
Nuñez will remain in charge of the operation
The crisis also triggered changes within the French government. Laurent Nuñez submitted his resignation on Sunday, but President Emmanuel Macron asked him to remain in office to address the police’s needs during the emergency.
Macron instructed him to take the necessary measures to ensure transparency regarding the failures in planning and intelligence gathering that preceded the episodes of violence.
Nuñez acknowledged that authorities had lost control in some of the major cities on Saturday, while hundreds of businesses were looted.
Against this backdrop, the match between PSG and Barcelona remains one of the week’s major sporting events in Europe, with security measures shaped by the situation currently unfolding in France.
