French Prime Minister confirms PSG match against Barcelona will proceed

The UEFA Champions League match between Paris Saint Germain and Barcelona will not be postponed or cancelled despite ongoing violent protests in France, French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu announced. Al Jazeera and Barca Universal both reported that French authorities ruled out postponing the game. Barcelona is scheduled to travel to Paris for the fixture at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT, according to Al Jazeera. [1][6]

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu stated on Monday that he asked regional authorities to impose partial and localised curfews in some cities to safeguard businesses, Al Jazeera reported. The measure follows weekend demonstrations that resulted in severe street violence. Lecornu added that a state of emergency could be imposed if necessary, though he noted curfews offered a better response to the situation. [1]

Paris Saint Germain faces additional challenges ahead of the match, as left back Nuno Mendes suffered an injury that will rule him out for several weeks, according to The Washington Post. Goal.com reported that Barcelona experienced travel issues after its flight to Paris was delayed ahead of the Champions League encounter. [2][5]

The unrest follows earlier demonstrations across the country, as FTMQ News reported earlier that high school students had staged protests over education funding, overcrowded classrooms, and poor resources. Those earlier demonstrations led to thousands of arrests and hundreds of school closures across France. [10][11]