French police actions ‘prevented deaths’ at Champions League final: Minister

France’s Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin defended on Monday the policing of this weekend’s Champions League final, saying officers had “prevented deaths” that might have been caused by crowd crushes outside the stadium in Paris.

He acknowledged that some officers had been videoed making “inappropriate” use of teargas, but said it was “rather low and disproportionate” to criticise the police, adding: “The decisions that were taken prevented deaths.”

Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera said French authorities were “extremely sorry” for the approximately 2,700 fans with tickets that were unable to enter the Stade de France because of the crowd control problems and suggested they receive compensation.

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