Fireworks, stones and police attacks: the riot of Moroccan fans

An hour after the end of the game this morning (Tuesday) between the Netherlands team and the Moroccan team in the World Cup, fans and immigrants from Morocco started rioting in the streets of Holland. Dutch media reported that thousands took to the streets of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, Enschede and Amerspoort. Cars with Moroccan flags on them filled the streets, honking non-stop, and fireworks were launched into the air.

Despite the festive atmosphere, this time too there were unusual incidents of disturbances, police attacks and incidents of violence. The police arrested dozens of people, including after they threw stones at police officers and injured them. At the same time, it is evident that the violent events after the game are much smaller than the riots that characterized the victories of the Moroccan team in the World Cup four years ago.

In the Schilderswijk neighborhood of The Hague, it was reported that the atmosphere changed about half an hour after the final whistle. According to reports, rioters began throwing stones and fireworks at police officers and blocking the main road. As a result, the police decided to activate the policing unit for dispersing demonstrations, including Makhtazeit, and arrested 13 people on suspicion of crimes including public violence and disorderly conduct.

There were also clashes in Rotterdam. Four people were arrested during disturbances near the city center. According to the reports, the authorities allowed the celebrations to continue for an hour and a half after the end of the game, but many of the fans did not leave the place even after that, and the police deployed forces to disperse the gathering.

The media in the Netherlands reported that initially there was a “good atmosphere” at the celebrations in Schilderswijk, and accusations were made specifically against the police who used violence that was described as “excessive. At the same time, it was reported that after the police dispersed most of the revelers – they began to clash with “some young people” in what developed into a “game of cat and mouse”.

Many documents and videos of the riots were published online, in which many more than “a few young people” are seen. The videos show confrontations with the police and the use of stun guns against a large number of rioters.