A move that French news outlet Valeurs Actuelles has described as “unheard of,” French police in the 8th arrondissement police station have gone on strike, from the top of the police command to the bottom. This is no ordinary police precinct either, but in the heart of Paris, right next to the Élysée.
The strike began yesterday on June 3 and it involves all branches of the precinct, including the Rescue Police Brigade (BPS), the Territorial Contact Brigade (BTC), via the Anti-Crime Brigade (BAC). That means in this arrondissement, the entire workforce has ceased police operations, apart from acute emergency rescue operations, such as car accidents, a source told Valeurs Actuelles.
The decision comes after two separate issues. One was the conviction of a number of officers, who two weeks ago, were sent to prison. The other has to do with the riots that broke out during the Champions League final on Saturday, which saw 890 people arrested, close to 200 officers injured, and two deaths.
Both French police unions, Alliance and Un1té, are standing behind the officers “in the face of this political and judicial abandonment,” wrote Valeurs Actuelles.
BREAKING: Scenes of absolute chaos in Paris on the Champs-Élysées.
French police appear to have lost control of the situation, with widespread rioting after the PSG’s Champions League victory. pic.twitter.com/HSW7Y2LAte
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) May 30, 2026Regarding the PSG riots in Paris, the officers are outraged over fabrications and what the officers are calling outright lies from Interior Minister Laurent Nunez.
Despite the chaotic riots, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the term “chaos” should not even be used to describe them. He described these as simply “lively celebrations accompanied by unacceptable excesses.” He further argued that “no major damage occurred.”
He also claimed it was “a situation we anticipated and were prepared for,” he stated, adding: “We had the situation under control.
JUST IN: Rioters are firing mortar shells and projectiles at French police at the Parc des Princes.
Paris is seeing widespread unrest, mostly from youths with a migration background, after PSG won the Champions League.pic.twitter.com/KQtZHtBljs
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) May 30, 2026“France is a great nation when it comes to maintaining public order… There was a systematic response to every instance of unrest,” Nunez claimed.
The Alliance Police union responded, stating: “Laurent Nuñez lied, the situation is extremely serious.”
In fact, one video shows the moment when a home-made bomb explodes, which resulted in what were described as “horrific” injuries.
🇫🇷🔥This bomb blew up during the Paris riots and left officers with injuries that have been described as "terrible."
The detonation of this bomb and others are being reclassified as attempted voluntary homicide against public servants.
The Paris prosecutor, Laure Beccuau, has… pic.twitter.com/VuUTKdaNwa
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) June 2, 2026Convicted officers
The second reason for the strike involves four BAC (plainclothes) police officers, accused of having mistreated passers-by and supporters on the sidelines of the quarter-finals of the Football World Cup in 2022. Nearly four years later, they were sentenced to prison sentences ranging from three to 12 months, all suspended, by Paris Criminal Court on May 18.
Four police agents were also placed in police custody following an intervention during a shoplifting incident which devolved into an intense physical confrontation, with three to be tried in 2027.
“For us, all this is political, the approach of the presidential election is not unrelated to all these decisions,” a policeman source said. “Enough is enough…today, the thug is protected while the police officer is convicted,” He added that “the values are totally reversed” where “colleagues are disgusted, exhausted, abandoned.”
“The justice system is attacking us like never before,” the officer said.
“While the rioters of the Champions League final and repeat offenders emerge free or benefit from dismissals, the police are treated as delinquents of the worst kind,” summarized another outraged police officer. “The only one who goes to prison are our colleagues.”
An officer was recently sentenced to 14 months in prison for a confrontation with a motorist after the PSG victory. On the other hand, all the rioters also tried in immediate appearance in Paris in recent days have regained their freedom.
“The unease is deep, anger is brewing and morale is at its lowest,” confides a police officer.
The serious problems in the 8th arrondissement
The officers in the 8th arrondissement face specific challenges. Major football matches routinely draw tens of thousands of fans to the 8th arrondissement, and the local police station and nearby units like the BAC, CRS, and BRAV-M bear the brunt of managing crowd control when celebrations sour into vandalism, commercial looting, or clashes with law enforcement.
There is growing exhaustion and anger among rank-and-file officers. Common grievances include feeling under-equipped to deal with recurrent guerrilla-style urban violence, a perceived lack of firm judicial follow-through on arrested rioters, and operational fatigue from being mobilized heavily for foreseeable sports events.
Following severe outbursts of violence in the area, local officials (such as the mayor of the 8th arrondissement) and police unions, are now pushing for a shift in doctrine — arguing for total bans on public gatherings on the avenue post-match, stating that it is impossible to “channel chaos” and that stricter preventative measures are required.
This strike, however, appears to be a radical departure from previous grievances. If the public no longer has a functioning police force in an entire section of Paris, politicians may finally start to take notice.
