Auditioned, Wednesday 1er June, by the Senate Law Commission, the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, acknowledged that he was “obvious that things could have been better organized”while numerous incidents marred the Champions League final on Saturday at the Stade de France.
“It is obvious that this sports festival has been ruined”he added. “And we very sincerely regret the sometimes unacceptable excesses that have taken place”said the minister again, under fire from critics after his statements on the number of counterfeit banknotes.
“This is the event that has mobilized the most police and gendarmes since I became Minister of the Interior”said Mr. Darmanin, rejecting any criticism of the number of police present.
Tear gas used “disproportionately”
“Several tickets have been duplicated hundreds of times”he also said, referring to the case of a ticket reproduced “744 times”. The Minister of the Interior reaffirmed that “110,000 people” introduced themselves “in and around the Stade de France”that is “35,000” more than the expected gauge, corresponding, according to him, to supporters with falsified tickets or without a ticket.
Gérald Darmanin and the Minister of Sports, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, have incriminated British supporters since Saturday evening, believing that they are largely responsible for the incidents, with a “massive, industrial and organized fraud of counterfeit banknotes”a highly criticized argument, in England as in France.
This situation has, according to the authorities, led near the Stade de France to massive congestion, overflows and the intervention of the police. In this regard, Gérald Darmanin has “sincerely apologized” to Liverpool supporters for “the great damage, especially on children” caused by tear gas, used “disproportionately”ensuring that “sanctions will be taken”.
Sanctions requested from the prefect of police
The “British and Spanish citizens will be able to lodge a complaint in their country from Monday” and they can also seize the General Inspectorate of the National Police (IGPN), said Mr. Darmanin.
“I have personally seen two facts, where obviously (…) the use of tear gas was against the rules of use”he said again, specifying that he had “asked the prefect of police for sanctions for these two law enforcement officials”.
Gérald Darmanin also announced that he had asked the interministerial delegate for the Olympic Games (JO), Michel Cadot, to consider “different rules” than that of dispersing with tear gas in the event of “exceptional sporting events”considering that these means were not “adequate”.
