Youth clashes with police in besançon after champions league match

Tensions flared in the heart of Besançon late Sunday evening as a crowd of nearly fifty individuals, mostly teenagers, clashed with police officers following a Champions League football match. The unrest began near the Robert Schwint bridge, where traffic came to a standstill as the group blocked the road. Police arriving on scene were met with a barrage of projectiles, leaving five officers with minor injuries. To their surprise, drivers found themselves trapped as some of the young protesters climbed onto vehicles, damaging one car before dispersing toward Place de la Révolution in the city center.

Widespread chaos ensued across several key streets, including Grande rue, Battant, and rue Courbet, where tear gas was deployed to disperse the crowd. Patrons enjoying café terraces scrambled for cover as the pungent fumes filled the air. In the commotion, electric bikes were overturned and vandalized, while public property suffered damage as well.

local authorities condemn post-match disturbances

City leaders swiftly condemned the violent acts, with Mayor Ludovic Fagaut taking to social media to denounce the chaos. “There is absolutely no justification for exploiting a popular sporting event to wreak havoc, disrupt public order, or instill fear,” he stated, reassuring the public that authorities are actively identifying those responsible to ensure they face legal consequences.

During the evening, between 600 and 800 people roamed the streets, with pockets of aggression flaring up intermittently. A subset of roughly fifty individuals directly confronted police forces, leading to five arrests—four minors and one adult—by the time order was restored.