A political banner, a swift intervention and then an empty stand: PSG’s home match against Le Mans took on an unusual atmosphere at the Parc des Princes on Saturday night.
Banner removed in Auteuil end
The Virage Auteuil was almost full at kick-off when a large banner was displayed during PSG-Le Mans. It referred to student protests taking place across France and carried the message: “Your militias repress, our youth resists.”
Stewards moved to have the banner taken down only minutes later. A brief confrontation followed in the stand before the supporters’ section emptied.
- The incident occurred in the Virage Auteuil during Saturday night’s match.
- The banner was linked to the wider mobilisation of French high-school students.
- Supporters left their places after it was removed in what amounted to a protest strike.
- The Auteuil end remained empty at half-time.
Paris supporters leave their seats
The departure of the fans changed the feel inside the stadium as Paris held a 1-0 lead. The final 15 minutes of the first half were played in a tense and strikingly subdued atmosphere for a ground usually driven by its home support.
The protest followed the removal of the banner rather than any on-pitch incident. For a period, the Auteuil stand was entirely vacant after having been close to capacity at the start of the game.
CUP return for second half
Normal support resumed shortly before the restart. Members of the Collectif Ultras Paris returned to their seats to back PSG during the second half.
They made themselves heard again in the 49th minute after an intervention from the capo, including chants of “freedom for the ultras”.
