Clashes outside Eiffel Tower fan zone during Euro final

Paris (AFP) – French police fired tear gas during clashes Sunday evening with a group of football supporters denied entry to a packed Eiffel Tower fan zone showing the Euro 2016 final between France and Portugal. 

The clashes took place outside the fan zone, which was closed before kick-off after reaching a maximum capacity of 90,000, causing disappointment and anger among those waiting to be admitted.

The base of the Eiffel Tower was engulfed in clouds of tear gas as riot police repelled the youths, who started fires on the pavement and threw bottles and other objects at the police lines, AFP photographers said.

Some of the demonstrators wore French flags knotted around their necks in a sign of support for the home side.

The police, who had posted a message on Twitter and issued warnings in the metro informing supporters the fan zone was full, used water cannon to extinguish the blazes.