Fan mile in Paris already overcrowded, tens of thousands in Zagreb

Düsseldorf, Paris, Zagreb The public viewing zone at the Eiffel Tower is already full hours before the World Cup finals kick off. “For security reasons, we can no longer let in any more people (…),” said the police on Twitter on Sunday afternoon. The maximum number of spectators of 90,000 has already been reached.

Thousands of fans jammed in front of the entrances to the cordoned-off area on the Champ de Mars, as a dpa reporter reported. At the entrance there were sometimes tumultuous scenes. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” said a waiting youth to his buddy. According to official information, 4,000 security forces were deployed to protect fans in Paris.

Already at the final of the European Championship in France 2016 there were similar scenes at the same point. Here, too, the police cordoned off the area hours before kick-off before the game between the hosts and Portugal. Angry reactions were the result, during the game the police had to crack down on rioters with tear gas. The security barriers under the Eiffel Tower were smashed and set on fire. The tumult could barely be stopped 100 meters from the giant screen on which the game was broadcast.

In the Croatian city of Zagreb everything remained peaceful at first. Tens of thousands of fans gathered in the capital for a public viewing on Sunday afternoon. After hours of torrential rain, the sky cleared two hours before kick-off. 50,000 people were expected in the central Jelacic Square alone. There were also numerous fan miles in the center, where the game can be seen on big screens. Thousands also gathered in front of the many television sets in the bars and restaurants of the amusement mile.