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This institution at Canal Saint-Martin was vandalized by extremists during the night

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The Editor

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The weekend of the French Cup final kicked off a bit too energetically and way too early in the 10th district. On the evening of Thursday, May 21, the legendary bar l'Atmosphere, a true gem of the Saint-Martin canal, was the scene of violent clashes involving Nice ultras. The outcome: some material damage and six people injured.

We all know that football stirs up passions. Sometimes a bit too much. As the final of the French Cup approaches, Paris is getting ready to buzz for ninety minutes. But this Thursday night, the match wasn’t played on the field, but out on the terrace. 

Around 10 PM, the peaceful neighborhood of canal Saint-Martin saw a surge of hooded Nice supporters arrive. Their target? L’Atmosphère, the neighborhood bistro where people usually love to chat about the world over a nice cold pint. In just a few minutes, the atmosphere of a relaxed aperitif by the water shifted dramatically: chairs, tables, bottles were hurled... the bar's furniture became projectiles. It was a third half-time before the official one, sparked by supporters who were clearly eager to get into the action, and they took it out on the customers. 


Six injured and a tough wake-up call for the Canal

While overflowing crowds and demonstrations of strength are unfortunately part of the football event folklore, this time, it’s hard to swallow for the locals. Beyond the broken windows and overturned terraces, emergency services had to attend to six injured people, including one who was more seriously hurt in the head.

@lalsacefr Une violente rixe a éclaté dans la nuit du jeudi 21 au vendredi 22 mai à Paris, aux abords du Canal Saint-Martin, dans le 10e arrondissement. 6 personnes ont été blessées, l'une d'entre elle se trouverait dans un état grave. La police a procédé à 65 interpellations selon la préfecture. L'affrontement impliquait des supporters niçois de l'OGC Nice, venus dans la capitale pour assister au match de la finale de la Coupe de France qui a lieu ce vendredi entre le club sudiste et le RC Lens. Selon le maire de Paris, Emmanuel Grégoire, qui s'est exprimé sur X, certains affichaient "une proximité avec l'extrême droite". Le patron d'un bar, dont la devanture a été particulièrement dégradée, va porter plainte. #ebrainfo #sinformersurtiktok #paris #foot #supporters #nice ♬ son original - lalsace

The response from law enforcement was swift: no fewer than 65 arrests and detentions were reported right away. That certainly helped to cool off the excitement of some before the official kickoff of the match.

Fortunately, the spirit of L'Atmosphère takes more than that to be completely shaken. Even if the counter has trembled, we bet that the favorite spot for drinks in the 10th arrondissement will quickly find its calm again, far from the chants of supporters and the tossing of chairs. For those craving a thrill, let's remember that sports are better enjoyed on a screen or in a stadium with a pint in hand… and preferably placed on the table, not thrown in the air.