Riots broke out in a number of Belgian and Dutch cities shortly after Morocco defeated World No. 2 Belgium 2-0 in the 2017 FIFA World Cup.
Following Morocco’s shocking World Cup victory, riots break out in Belgium and the Netherlands
Fans with Moroccan immigrant connections in several Belgian and Dutch communities joyfully celebrated Morocco’s triumph, which was a significant World Cup upset.
As violence erupted after the game, police had to block off portions of the Belgian capital and the port city of Antwerp. They also used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the masses.
Following the use of tear gas and water cannons to disperse gatherings in the Belgian city of Antwerp and eight more in Brussels, police detained approximately a dozen people.
The mayor of Brussels, Philippe Close, pleaded with citizens to avoid the city’s core and assured them that law enforcement was doing all possible to maintain calm. Police directives forced the interruption of even the metro and tram traffic.
That group is made up of rioters, not fans. It’s a celebration for Moroccan fans,” Close remarked. Aside from that, there were commotions in Liege and Antwerp.
Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden criticized the way a few people took advantage of the circumstances to act erratically.
Around 500,000 individuals of Moroccan heritage reside in Belgium.
In the port city of Rotterdam, police in the neighboring Netherlands said that fighting broke out when riot police tried to disperse 500 football fans who were throwing pyrotechnics and broken glass at the cops. Unrest was reported in The Hague and Amsterdam’s capital by the media.
According to a tweet from Dutch police, officers responded in Rotterdam, where some 500 people had congregated close to the city center, The Hague, Amsterdam, and Utrecht.
The riot cops charged after being hit with pyrotechnics and glass, according to Rotterdam police.
Approximately 500 people gathered in the city center in Rotterdam, and police responded there as well as in The Hague, Amsterdam, and Utrecht, according to a tweet from Dutch police.
Romain Saiss, the captain of Morocco, gained his team the lead in the 73rd minute with a barely perceptible deflection off his hip following a free kick from Abdelhamid Sabiri that went under the body of Courtois, widely regarded as the finest goalkeeper in the world.