The Government, supported by Labour and all UK political parties, should be asking for a “full apology” from the French Government over the treatment of Liverpool fans in Paris at the Champions League Final, according to the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham.
The Liverpool-born Labour politician, a key political figure in the Hillsborough justice campaign, has suggested political pressure now needs to grow to ensure those responsible for Saturday’s distressing scenes are held to account. In the days following the event, the French authorities have sought to deflect responsibility and shift blame onto the behaviour of Liverpool fans who were subjected to bottlenecks in an underpass, tear gassed and mugged when leaving the stadium.
In a hearing before the French senate on Wednesday afternoon, French interior minister Gerald Darmanin continued to suggest that fans with fake tickets were the causes for issues outside of the Stade de France. He initially suggested that 30-40,000 ticketless fans tried to gain entry to the stadium, but this was rolled back to the region of 3000 when speaking before the senate.
