A match under close surveillance. Scalded, six days after the failing management of the Champions League final, Saturday May 28, the Paris police headquarters are pulling out all the stops for the first match of the League of Nations, which opposes, Friday June 3, France , defending champion, in Denmark. Nearly 77,000 spectators are expected.
Although this match, which is sold out, carries less risk of violence on paper than the Champions League final, the security measures deployed will be more substantial and “oriented on public order, la fight against crime and the regulation of the flow of people”, said the police headquarters in a statement released Thursday. Franceinfo takes stock of the measures put in place.
By increasing the police force
The police headquarters unveiled, Thursday evening, at the end of a meeting at the Ministry of the Interior, in the presence of Gérald Darmanin, the prefect of police of Paris Didier Lallement and his services, according to a source close to the file, a resized security system with 2,080 police officers and gendarmes mobilized.
Security system set up in Saint-Denis for the France-Denmark match as part of the Nations League. pic.twitter.com/Pq1COy1Lun
— Prefecture of Police (@prefpolice) June 2, 2022
From 8 a.m. on Friday morning, a “security perimeter” began to be deployed around the stadium, where 78,000 spectators are expected for this match scheduled for 8:45 p.m. security forces “will ensure upstream and on the forecourt to maintain public order and safety”assures the police headquarters.
Several police sources interviewed by AFP were ironic about the scale of the planned device, worrying that the fiasco last Saturday did not provoke an investigation into the chain of command.
By improving the filtering of the public
From 4 p.m., five pre-screening points to access secure areas will be set up around the stadium and manned by stewards assisted by police personnel. The prefecture recommends that spectators come to these pre-screening points without prohibited or dangerous objects and avoid carrying bags or luggage which could lengthen the screening time.
As for the verification of tickets, of which 1,800 have been allocated to Danish supporters, this will be carried out at the access terminals under the control of UEFA, the organizer of the match. On Saturday, during the Champions League final, UEFA denounced, in a press release published on its website (in English), the existence of counterfeit banknotes “bought by thousands of fans” who blocked the turnstiles at the entrance reserved for Liverpool fans. According to the FFF and UEFA, “2,800 counterfeit banknotes” have been scanned.
By strengthening its communication with spectators
In order to avoid an excessive influx of people which could create traffic jams and panic, the police headquarters invites spectators to anticipate their arrival and plan their journeys, in particular their return journey.
Unlike Saturday, the gates overlooking the stadium entrance will be “lowered”, precise the direction of public order and traffic of the police headquarters in an internal document that franceinfo was able to consult. As for the doors, they will be open to the public from 6:45 p.m. The police headquarters recommends remaining attentive to its announcements published throughout the day on his Twitter account. A hotline, available to the public and local residents, has also been set up on 01 55 93 00 31.
By monitoring the bottleneck of RER B and D
Bearing in mind the RATP strike which affected Saturday the RER B, which allows to go to the Stade de France, a dspecific mechanism is put in place to “streamlining and securing” the progression of spectators from the metro and RER stations to the stadium. According to RATP and SNCF, traffic will be almost normal on the entire line.
[⚠Prévisions de trafic] On Friday June 3, traffic will be almost normal throughout the #RERB. The interconnection will be maintained at Gare du Nord. [1/3]
— RER B (@RERB) June 2, 2022
This surveillance system is in place at the three public transport stations serving the stadium: RER B La Plaine-Stade de France, RER D Stade de France-Saint-Denis and metro line 13 Saint-Denis station. Porte de Paris, whose traffic is reinforced for the occasion.
In addition, several law enforcement teams will patrol all stations and stations in Paris and its outskirts, “in particular multimodal nodes”likely to be taken by spectators going to the Stade de France.
With a focus on crime prevention
To avoid the snatching and other acts of crime that took place on Saturday around the stadium, the police headquarters has planned to strengthen its staff. The number of law enforcement officers dedicated to the fight against crime has been “significantly increased” in anticipation of the game. Un third of law enforcement, i.e. “656 workforce”are specifically in charge of this monitoring mission “in the immediate perimeter of the Stade de France, but also on the outskirts, as well as around the stations”detailed the police headquarters.
Throughout the day, personnel in civilian clothes, “Police” armband on the arm or not, or in uniform will be required to carry out checks, in particular at the exit of the Leroy Merlin store, the cinema or the Decathlon, located at proximity to the stadium, specifies the internal document of the direction of public order and traffic of the police headquarters.
During the Champions League final, 105 people were arrested and 39 placed in police custody, mainly for violence and theft on public roads near “fan zones”, on the night of Saturday to Sunday, according to the Interior Ministry. Among those arrested were sellers of counterfeit banknotes.