Pursuits
Security at Euro 2016 Might Need to Check Your Sandwich
- France to deploy 90,000 security personnel for tournament
- Snags at match last weekend point to security shortcomings
Fans light a fire after a French Cup final soccer match on May 21.
Photographer: Francois Mori/AP PhotoThis article is for subscribers only.
If Saturday night’s soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille was any indication, the Euro 2016 tournament that kicks off in two weeks will be a nightmare for French security forces already worn down by last year’s terrorist attacks and ongoing political protests.
Despite a 2-meter (6 1/2-foot) wall encircling the stadium and checkpoints for fans, some of the 80,000 supporters of the Paris and Marseille professional teams managed to smuggle forbidden items into the Stade de France, including smoke grenades, helmets and firecrackers. Thirty people were arrested after police used tear gas.