Unrest, arrests, and fireworks after France boots Morocco out of the World Cup

Underdogs Morocco suffered defeat at the hands of France last night, ending their World Cup conquest and sparking unrest in major cities across the world.

Despite the decision to stop public screenings of the match in cities such as Amsterdam and The Hague, supporters still took to the streets after the loss, causing havoc.

Supports set off fireworks across the Netherlands

In Osdorp in Amsterdam, more than 100 people were involved in a confrontation with the politie due to fireworks being set off, and an emergency unit was deployed in the area.

Three young people were arrested following the incident.

However, in areas such as Mercatorplein in Amsterdam West, it remained calm. There has been lots of unrest in this area following matches during the World Cup, and police were proactive. In fact, there were more police officers than supporters to be seen in the vicinity, reports the NOS.

READ MORE | Morocco fans cause chaos throughout the Netherlands after World Cup win

In Rotterdam, there was also chaos, with fireworks and smoke bombs set off on the West-Kruiskade. So far, 14 arrests have been made for setting off fireworks and talking back to police.

Two more arrests were made in The Hague for setting off fireworks, but the city remained relatively quiet throughout the aftermath.

At least supporters were a bit more chill about the loss than they were about Morocco’s win last week:

In Utrecht, hundreds of people gathered, singing, dancing, and setting off fireworks in the city. Dozens of police officers were present to ensure the safety of everyone involved, and no rests have yet been reported.

Young boy killed in Montpellier

In Montpellier, France, a 14-year-old boy has died after being hit by a car, despite best efforts being made to save him.

Following celebrations from French supporters after their win in the cup, a young boy was killed after he was hit by a car.

Footage on social media shows a car driving recklessly through a group of pedestrians and supporters, though it is unclear if this is the car that hit the boy.

⚠️ Trigger Warning: violence, person being hit by car in crowded street.

Translation: The total video shows many young people trying to surround this driver’s car. Do you think they would have stopped just ripping the flag off the passenger? Of course not! It’s sad, but any driver would have had the same reflex.

The final match for Morocco, and their last chance to secure a place in the World Cup, will take place on Saturday, December 17, against Croatia.

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Feature Image:Depositphotos
Heather Slevin
Heather Slevin
Heather is a Dublin native, addicted to catching the Luas, the Irish version of a tram, for one stop, and well used to the constant rain and shine. Seeking to swap one concrete city for another (with a few more canals and a friendlier attitude to cyclists) here she is with the Dutch Review! As a Creative Writing student, she can usually be found sweating over the complicated formatting of her latest poem or deep inside the pages of a book, and loves writing, writing, writing.

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