The head of Paris police has offered a thin-lipped apology for the carnage which unfolded during the Champions League final.
But Didier Lallement, who was speaking before a Senate committee meeting in the French parliament, doubled down on his claims that tear-gassing and kettling of innocent fans was necessary, to “avoid an invasion”.
And despite admitting the operation at the Stade de France final between Liverpool and Real Madrid was “evidently a failure”, he suggested he was still satisfied with the police organisation of security “because no one died”. The Prefect of Police DID admit that he had no scientific basis for his claims that “30-40,000 ticketless fans” tried to “invade the stadium”.
And could provide NO information to back up that claim. But again he doubled down on his original assertion, suggesting it was a best-guess estimate based on “information from police and public transport officials”...even though figures released by the Paris metro show there were no significant extra numbers.
Speaking to the senate, Lallement admitted the image of the French had been damaged around the world, as TV audiences witnessed scenes of innocent fans including many women and children, queuing with legitimate tickets, being tear gassed and baton-charged.
And he said, in a half apology: “I am totally sorry on behalf of the police force, if vulnerable people were affected, but it was the only way to avoid the invasion of the stadium. It's evidently a failure. The image of the country has been seriously damaged, people have been attacked. It was obviously a failure because people were being pushed around or assaulted while we owed them safety. But the match was held and there were no serious injuries or fatalities."
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Lallement claimed that the police “had not considered the presence of supporters with counterfeit tickets”, even though French newspapers had been full of stories of up to 300,000 Liverpool fans arriving in Paris, in the week leading up to the final. And he was adamant there was an “invasion” of ticketless fans, even though the police chief could produce no video or statistical evidence to back up his claims. And in an incendiary move, he BLAMED Liverpool Football Club officials, for failing to provide necessary information.
“It was me who gave the figure of 30,000 to 40,000 people without tickets or with counterfeit tickets to the Minister of the Interior. It was me who saw it on the ground," he said. "The figure has no scientific basis, but it came from feedback from police and public transport officials. Maybe I was wrong, but it was constructed from all the information harvested.
"I am well aware that this figure is debated. Of course I did not count all the spectators one to one. But we saw a very large number of Liverpool supporters arrive. The Liverpool club did not send the necessary information to the police headquarters concerning the movement of its supporters." That, the police chief claimed, forced him to issue orders to unleash riot control tactics on a peaceful, good natured crowd…even though the extra 40,000 people apparently present, disappeared without trace even before kick off.
“The gassing was necessary and I asked for the use of tear gas. I fully accept responsibility. I don't know of any other means. Perhaps persuasion?" he said. “It was the only way to avoid the invasion of the stadium, the only way to push back a crowd without charging it. And the use of tear gas worked. I therefore confirm that the decisions taken were the only ones to guarantee the organisation of the match and avoid any form of serious accident. I am sorry if innocent people were caught up in that."
Lallement, in passing revealed a damning piece of evidence against his policing operation, when he admitted in the entire operation at the Stade de France, and in Paris before and after the final, there were NO incidents involving Liverpool. That points to the peaceful nature of the crowd, and backs up accounts that it was only the good humour and calm of Liverpool fans which prevented a major incident.
