Ten men aged between 21 and 35 appeared before the correctional court in Brest on November 2 to face charges related to a violent ambush targeting Lens supporters. The incident occurred on April 20, 2025, immediately after Stade Brestois suffered a 1-3 defeat against Lens. According to the prosecution, approximately fifty masked supporters blocked a highway, using smoke flares to force the convoy carrying Lens fans to slow down before launching an assault.
The attackers were armed with iron bars, baseball bats, and bottles, shattering windshields and windows in a chaotic scene that caused panic among the drivers. Some vehicles attempted to weave through the hooligans to escape, while dozens of others reversed direction and drove against traffic on the four-lane road. The violence was severe enough that the door of a minibus was ripped off; three assailants were filmed brandishing the detached door as a trophy, with images subsequently circulating on platforms dedicated to football hooliganism.
Following orders from the ministries of sports and interior to identify those responsible for this new episode of violence in French football, investigators made twenty-four arrests. Six individuals admitted their involvement through guilty plea procedures. The ten defendants currently on trial are charged with participating in an armed gathering while voluntarily concealing their faces and obstructing traffic. Despite some links to far-right groups, all ten defendants contest the charges, claiming they were merely distant witnesses to the attack and did not take part in the violence.
Sources: Le Monde.