Around 300 people were arrested during riots following Morocco’s defeat at the hands of France at the world cup last night. Hotheads clashed with police in downtown Brussels immediately after the match. Also in Antwerp there were clashes.
Problems started in the vicinity of Lemonnier in central Brussels shortly after 10PM. Hotheads sought a confrontation with the police. Members of the Moroccan community attempted to prevent trouble by creating a human chain, but this didn’t seem to help much.
Troublemakers fired fireworks at the police that immediately responded. Teargas and watercannon were deployed.
213 rioters were kettled near the South Station. “Arrests took place as a result of a disturbance, inflicting intentional damage to two police vehicles and possession of cobra firework. Possession of cobra firework by members of the public is banned in Belgium” says police spokeswoman Ilse Van de keere.
There were disturbances in Molenbeek too while troublemakers played a game of cat and mouse with the police at the North Station.
In Antwerp police arrested 85 hotheads at Kiel and on the Turnhoutsebaan in Borgerhout. “The atmosphere stayed good as long as local volunteers were present, but when these activists left the atmosphere turned nasty” says officer Willem Migom. People who took to the streets had few good intentions. Heavy fireworks were used. The crowd was pushed back at both locations and in Borgerhout watercannon was deployed”.
Several cars were stopped after passengers fire Bengal-lights from the vehicles.