Several people have been arrested during riots in Brussels and Antwerp. Brussels city center were closed. Clashes broke out between fans and the police in Paris and Lyon.
The police in Brussels are taking action against riots after Morocco’s World Cup defeat.
(dpa)
Police arrested around 100 people during riots in Brussels following Morocco’s defeat in the semi-finals of the World Cup. These were due to disruption of public order, damage to two police vehicles and possession of prohibited fireworks, as the Belga news agency reported on Thursday night, citing the police.
Traffic in parts of the city center was blocked as a precaution. There were also clashes in Antwerp. Several people were also arrested here. Numerous police officers in riot gear and burning piles of rubbish could be seen in pictures from the Belgian capital from the night. However, photos of Belga also showed residents who began cleaning the streets of rubbish in the evening.
Fan celebrations in Paris and Lyon are getting out of hand
In some French cities, fan celebrations got out of hand after the national team reached the final of the World Cup late on Wednesday evening. Although the vast majority peacefully celebrated the 2-0 win against Morocco in the semi-finals, rioters and police officers briefly clashed on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, as reported by the media. In Montpellier, fans from both sides firecrackers fired at each other.
There was also talk of a tense situation in Lyon for some time. As the newspaper “Nice-Matin” reported, there were also conflicts between fans and the police in Nice and Cannes. For the most part, however, the situation calmed down again, and there was no talk of arrests or major property damage. The defending champions France play Argentina in the final on Sunday.
Mood in Berlin calm
In Berlin, on the other hand, the mood remained calm overall, most people went home quickly after the game, said a police spokesman on Wednesday evening. They had been prepared for a larger effort – especially in the event of a victory for the Moroccan team. In the Berlin-Neukölln district, fans set off a short fireworks display.
A dpa reporter on site reported that the fans were proud of the team’s performance, which surprisingly made it to the semi-finals at the World Cup in Qatar. However, Wednesday’s defeat by France (0-2) ended the dreams of the Moroccans, who had become the first African team to reach the top four at a World Cup.