BRUSSELS, Belgium
Brussels police had to respond "harshly" and seal off parts of the city center as unrest erupted following Morocco's surprising victory. Police in the Netherlands also reported violence in major cities.
Police used water
cannons to disperse crowds in Belgium's capital after the mood turned sour
during the country's shock defeat to Morocco at
the FIFA
World Cup on Sunday.
Even before the end of the
match, "dozens of people, including some wearing hoodies, sought
confrontation with the police, which compromised public safety," Brussels police
said in a statement.
Rioters smashed shop windows,
threw fireworks, and torched vehicles. Videos posted on social media showed
people smashing the windows of a red car before flipping it and setting it
alight.
Mayor Philippe Close condemned
the violence, writing on Twitter that the police were forced to act
"harshly."
"Those are not fans, they are rioters. Moroccan fans are there to celebrate,'' Close said later.
Police have detained about a
dozen people.
Violence also erupted in
Antwerp, Belgium's most-populous city, and Liege.
"Sad to see how a few
individuals abuse a situation to run amok,'' said Interior Minister Annelies
Verlinden.
In Rotterdam, riot police
clashed with a group of 500 football supporters who pelted them with fireworks
and glass.
Officials also reported unrest
in The Hague and in the capital, Amsterdam, where a car was set alight.
Riot police were deployed to
Amsterdam's Mercatorplein, a square in the city's west. The neighborhood is
home to a large Moroccan community.
The Moroccan football
team has a particularly massive following in the Netherlands, with the Dutch
born winger Hakim Ziyech having started his career with Amsterdam's Ajax
before transferring to Chelsea.
Meanwhile, in the Moroccan
capital, Rabat, people spilled into the streets for spontaneous celebrations.
There was dancing,
singing and waving of Moroccan flags, while drivers honked their horns as
they drove through the streets of Rabat.
Sunday's victory against Belgium was
Morocco's first win at a World Cup since they beat Scotland in 1998.
Both teams still have a chance
of advancing to the last 16 of the tournament depending on how their final
group stage matches go, with Belgium set to play Croatia and Morocco set
to play Canada.
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