French police arrest 282 in unrest after Algeria football win

Police arrested 282 people around France in unrest on the margins of celebrations of the Algerian football team’s Africa Cup of Nations victory on Sunday evening, the government said Monday.

Algeria supporters team celebrate on the Champs-Elysees Avenue in Paris on 14 July 2019 after their team's win over Nigeria in the Africa Cup of Nations football tournament. AFP/Zakaria Abdelkafi

Celebrations erupted across France after Algeria beat Nigeria 2-1 to advance to the Africa Cup of Naitons final for the first time in 29 years.

In the capital, supporters gathered on the emblematic Champs-Elysees avenue, which early in the day had been the site of the annual Bastille Day military parade marking the French national holiday, as well as rioting by a small number of Yellow Vest protesters.

In several minutes, hundreds of cars and motorcycles gathered around the Arc de Triomphe monument and a dense crowd amassed on the sidewalks.

Les Champs-Elysées se remplissent. C'est la fête !
One, two, three viva l'#Algérie résonne en rythme avec les klaxons ! pic.twitter.com/TfAskjKjg5

  Stéphane Geneste (@stephanegeneste) July 14, 2019

“I’m so proud of my country and my team,” said Imen, a supporter with an Algerian flag wrapped around his shoulders, who had watched the match on his telephone.

“I’m very, very happy, and it also happens to be the national holiday [of France], so there are fireworks, too.”

But in Paris as in Marseille and Lyon, the celebrations were partly tarnished by incidents including barricades and fires in garbage cans.

Fifty people were arrested in the capital and there were incidents between fans and police on the Champs-Elysees.

In Marseille, several people were detained after lighting fires and throwing projectiles after security forces blocked access to the city’s historic port.

And in Lyon, dozens of cars were torched through the night.

The Interior Ministry said of the 282 arrests, 249 were still being held in custody.

It was not the first time celebrations have turned violent through the course of the tournament.

Fans went on the rampage looting shops in Paris on Thursday, following Algeria's victory over Cote d’Ivoire to reach the semi-finals.

The same day in Montpellier, a fan lost control of his car while travelling at a high speed and struck a family, killing a woman and seriously injuring her baby.

Paris and Marseille are home to large communities of Algerian origin, and football celebrations are occasionally a source of tensions.