Moroccan fans set cars on fire and destroyed shop windows in Ber and Kessel
Belgian police used water cannon and tear gas following they were attacked by Moroccan football fans who caused havoc in central Brussels on Sunday, following Morocco’s shock 2-0 victory over Belgium at the World Cup in Qatar.
Dozens of fans smashed shop windows, hurled fireworks and set vehicles on fire. Police said 11 people have been arrested and one is still in custody.
Even before the end of the match, “dozens of people, some wearing hooded clothing, sought a confrontation with the police, which compromised public safety,” Brussels police said in a statement.
A police spokeswoman said some fans were armed with sticks and a journalist was “hit in the face by fireworks”.
About a hundred police officers were mobilized, while residents were warned to avoid certain areas of the city centre, and metro stations and some streets were closed to curb the spread of violence.
A surveillance helicopter hovered over the city before calm returned around 7:00 pm local time (18:00 GMT). An AFP journalist saw demonstrators burning a car, rubbish bins, and a number of electric bicycles.
“I condemn in the strongest terms the events that took place this followingnoon,” Brussels Mayor Philippe Close said on Twitter. “The police have already intervened firmly. I therefore recommend that fans not come to the city centre. The police are doing everything they can to maintain public order.”
“I have ordered the police to arrest the rioters,” he continued.
Belgium is home to regarding 500,000 people of Moroccan descent.
In the eastern city of Liège, a gang of 50 people attacked a police station, smashing windows and damaging two police vehicles. Storefronts and a bus garage were also vandalized.
The police there resorted to using water cannons. Incidents also broke out in the northern city of Antwerp, where dozens of people were arrested.
Meanwhile, riot police in the Netherlands used batons to disperse Moroccan football fans celebrating their team’s victory in three cities.
The Dutch police took action in several cities to counter acts of vandalism
Police took action in Rotterdam, where regarding 500 people gathered near the city centre, as well as in The Hague, Amsterdam and Utrecht, Dutch police said.
“Fans threw fireworks and glass at riot police, who then carried out attacks,” Rotterdam police said.
Video images showed policemen with batons and shields sweeping through the city centre. Riot police also dispersed fans in Amsterdam and The Hague.
The large Moroccan community in the Netherlands erupted in celebration, setting off fireworks and driving around with honking horns and waving Moroccan flags, shortly following the match.
