FRESNES-LES-MONTAUBAN, May 26, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - French President Emmanuel
Macron condemned "with the greatest firmness" violence that broke out
Saturday between rival football fans on their way to the French cup final
that left 38 people hurt and a bus burnt to a crisp.

The clashes erupted at a toll gate between fans of Lyon and Paris Saint-
Germain (PSG) headed to the evening's match in the northern city of Lille,
which Macron attended.

The violence struck 60 kilometres (40 miles) from Lille, where the final was
being played because Paris's Stade de France is being readied for this
summer's Olympics.

One bus was set on fire and two others damaged, local Nord department
authorities said in a statement overnight, adding that 30 supporters and
eight police officers were injured. Fourteen people required "medical
attention".

The clashes involved about 100 Lyon supporters and 200 PSG fans, a police
source said.

Police prefect Bertrand Gaume said one group of supporters got out of their
bus and attacked another carrying rival fans, who threw smoke bombs.

"There were very violent brawls" before police intervened, Gaume said, adding
that one bus was left burnt out.

Mingling with the public in nearby Tourcoing ahead of the game, Macron said
he "condemns all violence with the greatest firmness", adding: "I hope that
things will go as normally as possible this evening."

- Heavy security -

Traffic on the major north-south A1 highway was interrupted in both
directions.

The supporters' group Paris Ultras Collective said in a statement that fans
of the two clubs had been supposed to take different routes to the match, but
Lyon fans attacked a bus carrying PSG supporters.

Police did not indicate which group of fans launched the attack.

Olympique Lyonnais (Lyon) said in a statement it "condemns this violence".

The French Football Federation called the violence "unacceptable".

After the match in Lille, which PSG won 2-1, supporters left the stadium
calmly, amid a heavy police presence.

Earlier, fans of the rival teams had mingled all day without incident ahead
of the 9:00 pm (1900 GMT) start time.

The regional police authority said 1,000 officers were on duty in the town
and a further 1,000 in the stadium.

The local authorities had also put in place a number of measures for the
high-risk match.

Fans were forbidden to move "outside the areas reserved for them" near the
stadium until 04:00 am Sunday, and authorities banned the public consumption
of alcohol "in a glass or metal container" until the same time.