the victory of the Atlas Lions provokes scenes of jubilation and overflows

Sounds of horns, whistles, fireworks, smoke bombs… On the Champs-Elysées, in Paris, on the Old Port in Marseille, Place Bellecour in Lyon, in the city center of Toulouse, in Nice or Lille… Several thousand supporters of Morocco flocked and celebrated, Tuesday, December 6, the historic performance of the Atlas Lions who were invited to the feast of the great nations of football.

By reaching the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup, Morocco is the first Arab selection to reach this level of the competition, at the expense of Spain. She joined the very closed circle of African quarter-finalist selections: Cameroon in 1990, Senegal in 2002 and Ghana in 2010. In Paris, there were several thousand to party, brandishing the national flag, painted in the colors red and green, singing the anthem of Morocco. The supporters gathered near the Arc de Triomphe, in the middle of smoke bombs and under the surveillance of many police officers.

In Lyon, supporters converged on Place Bellecour and at La Guillotière to be heard, despite the cold. “Streets on the peninsula were blocked in the evening. With consequences for traffic on the quays of the Rhône”writing France 3.

In Marseille, they were gathered on the Léon-Gambetta alley, not far from the Canebière. They then joined “the Old Port to make the fireworks talk”note Provence. In Manosque, in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, around sixty people celebrated before going to the municipal stadium Adrien-Gilly, continues the regional daily.

In Toulouse, scenes of jubilation took place in Place Saint-Pierre and at the Capitole: “Hundreds of vehicles waving flags (…) converge at the beginning of the evening towards the city center. At this rush hour, traffic is therefore very disrupted by these happy supporters. Around 8 p.m., about 2,000 people were at the level of [la station de métro] Jean Jaurès. Traffic on the boulevards is even cut off in places”writing The Dispatch.

Most of the gatherings took place in peace, as in Strasbourg (Bas-Rhin) or Mulhouse (Haut-Rhin), reports France Blue Alsace. Same thing to Perpignanaccording France Blue Roussillonor to Towers and Dijon.

Political outbursts and ulterior motives

In Paris, the celebrations gave rise to some excesses, stores were vandalized and the crowd was dispersed by tear gas canister fire. In the North, at Maubeuge, Valenciennes or Lille, several hundred fans celebrated Morocco’s victory.

If, in Valenciennes, no incident was reported, in Lille, the atmosphere was tense “as a large force of law and order is deployed”reports France 3. The channel notes that “13 police officers were slightly injured, in particular due to mortar fire or projectile throwing. Eight arrests, seven men and one woman, most of them minors, took place”.

In the Vaucluse, in Avignon, “Two people were arrested for throwing projectiles and one for breaking into a store”signals France Blue. In Toulon, the police had to deal with some excesses (…) a municipal police vehicle was even hit by a projectile, breaking the driver’s side window” and one person was arrested, reports nice morning.

In Nice, the qualification gave rise to Place Masséna celebrations. nice morning reports that “the jubilation remained good-natured in the city center even though “things have degenerated in some neighborhoods ». What Anthony Borré, the first deputy (Horizons) to the mayor of Nice was moved on Twitter deploring “unacceptable overflows in the city and on the Place des Amaryllis in Les Moulins” where the national police would have been taken to task. Christian Estrosithe mayor (Horizons) of Nice, rebounded on the message of his deputy, evoking the cobblestones of a tram train, even if the tram operator assured the daily that there had been no “caillage” but supporters who would have “hit with their hands on the tram”.

Solicited by The worldthe office of the Minister of the Interior affirmed that there had been 44 arrests on the national territory.

Read also: World Cup 2022: in Casablanca, scenes of jubilation after Morocco’s victory against Spain

Party and clashes in Europe too

A Moroccan supporter in the streets of The Hague, December 6, 2022.

The scenes of joy were not confined to France. In London Moroccan supporters invaded Oxford Street Where Piccadilly Circus. Same atmosphere at Barcelona Where Gaza.

HAS Brussels and Antwerp, the party was spoiled by excesses during which the Belgian police used a water cannon and made dozens of arrests. HAS amsterdamThe Hague and Rotterdam, the police suffered fireworks. On Twitter, dutch police asked fans: “Celebrate but do not commit any crime. »

The world


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