Status: 11.12.2022 3:09 p.m
The Moroccan national team made history by reaching the World Cup semi-finals. Fans around the world celebrated the success – but there were also riots. Arrests were made in several European cities.
Tens of thousands of people in different countries celebrated after the Moroccan national team beat Portugal in the quarter-finals of the World Cup. There were also riots in several major European cities. More than 160 people were arrested.
Around 20,000 fans of the Moroccan team gathered peacefully on the Parisian boulevard Champs-Élysées in the evening. According to the police, there were isolated attacks on police officers from 11 p.m., three scooters were also set on fire and some shop windows were damaged.
According to a statement, the French police took 108 people into custody in the greater Paris area. They are accused of property damage and violence against law enforcement officers. Some only got together in groups to exercise violence. 19 security forces were slightly injured.
Semi-final against France
The police also arrested 60 people in the Belgian capital, Brussels. Fans initially celebrated peacefully after Morocco’s 1-0 win over Portugal. Then some revelers would have used massive pyrotechnics, the Belgian news agency Belga quoted a police spokeswoman as saying. Small groups threw objects at police officers.
Arrests were also made in several Dutch cities. In Amsterdam, the police reported that fans had ignited heavy firecrackers. The crowd had been asked to clear an area. In Rotterdam, a central square was cleared by the riot police, in Utrecht the police spoke of damage to property.
There have already been riots during previous Moroccan victories. Morocco is the first African country to reach a World Cup semi-final. The team then meets France on Wednesday.