Determine the responsibilities of the security fiasco observed during the holding of the Champions League final on May 28 at the Stade de France, and propose remedies in order to best prepare for the next two major sporting events organized by France: the Coupe world rugby in 2023 and the Olympic Games in 2024, these are the two objectives of the report presented this Wednesday, July 13 by senators Laurent Lafon, president of the commission for culture, education and communication, and François -Noël Buffet, president of the law commission. The senators notably pointed to “a series of malfunctions” and “failures” both “in the execution” and in the “preparation” of the event.
The rapporteurs made a point of stressing that if the number of counterfeit banknotes in circulation was particularly high that evening, at 2,471, this data could not be presented as the main cause of the dramatic events notified around the stadium. Nevertheless, to guard against counterfeit tickets, they recommend making “compulsory the use of tamper-proof tickets”, that is to say digital, for the most important sports competitions.
The senators also believe that the mobility plan for supporters was not well prepared, while a strike on RER B had been announced. This plan did not ensure the correct transfer of passengers from RER B to RER D and then did not provide for a relief lane at the exit of RER D. The second recommendation is therefore that the organizers inform holders in real time of tickets of the modalities of access to the stadium. Laurent Lafon then estimated that the public authorities had “neglected” the supporters, in particular those of Liverpool, by considering as “hooligans” the individuals without tickets who came to enjoy the atmosphere in Paris. Thus, the report calls for the strengthening of the training of stewards and the improvement of their communication with the police.
Regarding the thefts and assaults that occurred near the stadium, the screening cannot be solely responsible, since, corroborating the words of the Mayor of Liverpool, the senators believe that the acts of delinquency began before the screening, thus contradicting the about the prefect of police, Didier Lallement. The police should not have been surprised by the presence of a large number of delinquents, the mayor of Saint-Denis having announced, in the days preceding the meeting, an unusual effervescence around the enclosure . The Senate invites the authorities to improve the attractiveness around the Stade de France, so that spectators are not tempted to come at the last moment, which creates a bottleneck. Faced with the massive influx of people, it is also recommended to separate the ticket validity checkpoints from the pre-filtering points set up as part of the prevention of terrorism.
The chilling testimonies of supporters who were gassed by the police caused the rapporteurs to react, who regret that supporters had the feeling “of having been exposed to excessive use of force”. Because if the use of tear gas turned out to be the only way to disperse the crowd, its use was too random. They ask the Ministry of the Interior to define a doctrine for the use of tear gas, which would avoid the exposure of peaceful people. The crushes could also have been avoided, according to the report, thanks to public officials dedicated to the circulation of flows around the stadium. But there were only ten of them. The senators demand the reincorporation of these neglected units. In all, the senators draw up 11 recommendations, to prevent future dysfunctions and prevent France from keeping the image of a nation incapable of organizing a large-scale sporting event.
