Morocco World Cup Win Sparks Celebrations and Arrests in Belgium

2 December 2022 – byGinette · 1 min read

A total of 18 people were arrested on Thursday evening in Brussels for public disorder. They were part of the crowd that took to the streets to celebrate Morocco’s qualification for the World Cup round of 16 in Qatar.

According to Ilse Van de keere, a spokesperson for the Brussels police, to prevent a repeat of the incidents of Sunday, November 27, the Midi Boulevard and the Porte de Hal tunnel were closed to traffic around 7:00 p.m. Despite the precautions, some disturbances were recorded in various parts of Molenbeek, Schaerbeek, and Antwerp, reports La Dernière heure.

Hundreds of people, Moroccan flag in hand, paraded through the streets, launching fireworks at police who responded by spraying them with tear gas. While in Brussels the police only arrested 18 people, in Antwerp the toll is a bit heavier. 35 people were arrested and three police officers were injured.

Clashes were also recorded in the Netherlands, mainly in Rotterdam. Four people were arrested for using fireworks and another for public disorder.