French Interior Minister defends tear-gassing of Liverpool fans ‘to avoid any kind of deaths’

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Given the vast array of damning footage and eyewitness accounts attesting to the poor organisation and handling of the Champions League final, one could be forgiven for having expected a sincere apology from French authorities.

Despite questions being raised around the actions of French police in antagonising supporters present in Paris, blame was left squarely at the feet of those who travelled to the French capital, with Interior minister Gerald Darmanin defending the use of tear gas and pepper spraying.

“I’d like to thank the forces of law and order, also those who worked in the stadium because they were very calm and they were able to avoid drama and so thank you for organizing the pre-filtering but lifting it when there was too much pressure to avoid a drama,” the 39-year-old was quoted as saying by AP“That was a decision made by the prefecture to avoid any kind of deaths or seriously injured.”

The Merseysiders failed to secure a seventh title in the competition, with Real Madrid winning the contest courtesy of Vinicius Jr’s sole effort.

READ MORE: Luka Modric points to key moment in Liverpool CL final clash that helped decide the game in Real Madrid’s favour

It’s somewhat disturbing to witness the parallels being drawn to the response from officials to the handling of the Paris final and the Hillsborough disaster.

This time, however, thanks to the age of social media, it’s apparent to all where the blame lies, regardless of French officials’ attempts to use fans as scapegoats for their poor organisational efforts.

We’d like to once again express our deepest sympathies with those who made the trip to the Stade de France.

EOTK Insider: ‘Paris should be ashamed’ – Fan accounts of police aggression, ‘UEFA’s incompetence’ & the Champions League final as it unfolded

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1 Comment

  1. That is like saying “I am going to have sex with you to save your virginity!” These politicians must think we are stupid. Oh wait……they do not think!

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