Woman killed, shops looted in France after Algeria’s football win

A woman has been killed in a high-speed car crash in southern France, while shops were looted in central Paris in what the government slammed as “unacceptable” unrest following Algeria’s quarter-final win over Ivory Coast in the African Cup of Nations.

In the southern city of Montpellier, an Algerian football supporter, celebrating his team’s win, lost control of his car on Thursday and ran over a family, killing a woman and seriously injuring her baby, a security official said.

The 21-year-old man, who was taken into police custody, was driving at high speed in the Mosson neighbourhood, the official said.

The baby suffered traumatic injuries and was rushed to hospital, while the woman’s 17-year-old daughter suffered an ankle injury.

Algeria, the favourites in this year’s football tournament, defeated the Ivory Coast on penalties in the Egyptian city of Suez to set up a semi-final showdown with Nigeria.

Paris looting

Algerian fans flocked to the Champs-Elysees in central Paris and the Vieux Port area in Marseille late on Thursday after the match ended.

Two stores near the Champs-Elysees were looted, an AFP news agency journalist said.

In total, 43 people were detained and police used tear gas to disperse thousands who had gathered in Paris and Marseille.

“The damage and incidents last night on the sidelines of the celebrations… are unacceptable,” France’s Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said in a tweet.

“I hail the actions of the security forces in Paris and across the country to maintain order and contain the excesses.”

Paris and Marseille are home to large minority communities of Algerian origin. Football celebrations, with supporters brandishing Algerian flags, have on occasion been a source of tensions.

Algeria fans flooded onto the streets of Paris after their country's win on penalties over Ivory Coast in the #TotalAFCON2019– but the celebrations turned to tragedy when a woman died after being hit by a car in the southern city of Montpellier pic.twitter.com/M1ApdrWipz

— AFP Sport English (@AFP_Sport) July 12, 2019