France’s Interior Ministry announced on Sunday the arrest of 12 people of Algerian origin following riots that targeted police in several French cities after Algeria’s national team was knocked out of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations by Nigeria.
According to French media citing the Interior Ministry, gatherings of Algerian supporters after Saturday’s quarter-final defeat escalated in some areas into public disorder, prompting security forces to intervene in line with standing instructions. Authorities said police officers were targeted with fireworks and various projectiles, though no injuries were reported among the security services.
The ministry said the arrests were carried out as part of efforts to enforce the law and respond firmly to acts of violence or attacks on police, stressing that any behaviour threatening public order would be dealt with decisively. French media reported that the unrest followed angry reactions to Algeria’s elimination from the continental tournament.
The developments came despite prior preventive measures. Ahead of the match, France’s interior minister had issued urgent instructions to regional prefects to raise security alert levels, anticipating potential disturbances linked to gatherings around Africa Cup of Nations fixtures.
Those instructions followed earlier incidents in which celebrations by Algerian fans after previous matches drifted beyond their sporting nature and turned into scenes of disorder in several major cities, pushing authorities to adopt a more proactive and stringent security approach.
Officials have since reiterated the need to mobilise all available powers at the local level, tighten controls on the use of prohibited fireworks, prevent illegal occupation of public spaces and ensure swift judicial action against anyone involved in violence or vandalism, reflecting growing concern over the security implications of such gatherings in an already sensitive domestic context.
