Severe unrest erupted in Brussels during and after Morocco beat Belgium 2-0 at the World Cup in Qatar on Sunday.
Football fans shattered shop windows, burnt cars, tossed fireworks and set vehicles on fire after Belgium’s defeat in the match. The police had to use tear gas and water cannons to control the situation.
Violence erupted in several locations around the capital city, injuring several persons and Belgian police detained a dozen people. According to BBC, police confirmed at least 11 people had been arrested.
Belgium 🇧🇪 👀💥
Towns And Cities Are Now Being Destroyed And Smashed Up Across Brussels As Riots By Non Natives Escalate Into The Night. pic.twitter.com/q3gA8SiWKu— Suzanne Seddon (@suzseddon) November 27, 2022
Police had to deploy water cannons and tear gas to disperse the rioters. Several football fans, some of whom were wearing Moroccan flags, reportedly fought with the police.
According to police spokesperson Ilse Van de Keere, some fans were armed with weapons, and a journalist was “injured in the face by fireworks.”
Brussels Mayor Philippe Close advised residents to avoid the city centre and stressed that officials were doing all possible to maintain order in the streets. Even subway and tram travel had to be stopped due to police directives.
“I condemn in the strongest terms the incidents of this afternoon. The police have already firmly intervened. I, therefore, advise against fans coming to the city centre. The police are doing all they can to maintain public order,” Close wrote on Twitter.
“I have ordered the police to carry out arrests of the troublemakers.”
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About 100 police officers were called in, although it was unclear how many people were detained during the riots.
Meanwhile, metro stations were shut and streets were blocked to stop the violence from spreading.
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