While the overwhelming majority of the many thousands of fans that took the streets to celebrate Morocco’s historic progression to the semi-finals of the World Cup did so without incident, as Saturday evening progressed, groups of youth out on seeking confrontation spoiled the party atmosphere. In Brussels 59 people were taken into police custody, while in Antwerp around 70 troublemakers spent Saturday night in a police cell.
Video: 60 people detained in Brussel, 70 detained in Antwerp After Morocco’s historic World Cup victory
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In Brussels one person also faces criminal charges related to the trouble that flared late on Saturday evening after most of the jubilant Moroccan fans had returned home.
The Brussels police spokeswoman Ilse Van de Keere told journalists that "Immediately after the match the Zuidlaan (part of the Brussels Inner Ring Road) was closed for traffic heading towards the Anderlechtspoort. The Poincarélaan was also closed from the Ninoofsepoort, as was the Hallepoort Tunnel heading towards the South Railway Station”.
"After the match there was above all a large gathering of people celebrating in the area around the Lemonnierlaan/South Station and in the Dansaert District in Central Brussel, Zwarte Vijvers and the municipal square in Sint-Jans-Molenbeek and between the Paviljoen Square and the Berenkuil in Schaarbeek. We noted that a lot of pyrotechnic material (fireworks, roman candles,…) was used", the police spokeswoman said.
Human chain
"Like last time older people that live in the area formed a human chain in order to maintain calm. Our officers acted swiftly to detain small groups of troublemakers that threw objects at the police and were setting off fireworks around the Poincarélaan and the Luchtvaartsquare in Brussels and the Baraplein in Anderlecht", Ms Van de Keere said.
By 9pm around 10 people had been taken into police custody. By the end of the evening this figure had reached 59. One other person has been formally arrested and will face criminal charges.