FIFA World Cup 2022: After Morocco’s 2-0 victory over Belgium in the World Cup, protests and looting broke out in a number of locations across Belgium on Sunday, including the capital city of Brussels.
Online videos showed demonstrators torching and flipping a car in the Belgian city of Brussels. According to local authorities, some of the rioters even lit electric scooters on fire. Bricks were also reportedly hurled at other vehicles.
One individual was hurt in the event, according to Ilse Van de Keere, a spokeswoman for the Brussels police department. It wasn’t immediately obvious if the demonstrations were being led by squad members from the rival team.
According to videos, in response, the police in Brussels used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the demonstrators. It was unclear who, if anyone, had been taken into custody.
FIFA World Cup 2022: Brussels Mayor Philippe Close Voiced His Vehement Condemnation of the Incidents
In a series of tweets, Brussels Mayor Philippe Close voiced his vehement condemnation of the incidents. He warned soccer fans to stay away from the central business district of the city.
He went on to say, “The police are doing everything in their power to maintain public order.” After the game, there was also a rise in the number of violent incidents that occurred in Antwerp.
According to the police in the neighbouring Netherlands, disturbances were also reported in the port cities of The Hague, Amsterdam, and Rotterdam. These three cities are all located in the Netherlands. Videos that were posted online showed a street that had been completely destroyed by fire.
According to a statement made by Ilse Van de Keere, a spokesperson for the police department, precautionary patrols are still being conducted in the impacted regions as of seven o’clock.
A Journalist Received Facial Injuries From Explosions
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The police have stated that those involved in the disturbance “used pyrotechnic material, projectiles, sticks, and set fire to the public highway.” In addition, a journalist received facial injuries from explosions.
According to the police, these considerations were a contributing factor in the decision to continue forward with an intervention by the police, which included the deployment of tear gas and water cannons.
A group of approximately 500 soccer fans who were throwing fireworks and glass at the police in Rotterdam reportedly attempted to be dispersed by riot police in that city. After some time had passed, the police reported that they had already carried out two arrests.
The FIFA World Cup is taking place in Qatar this year, and there have already been a few surprising results. Argentina lost against Saudi Arabia by a score of 2-1 while Japan defeated Germany by a score of 2-1. Argentina then bounced back to defeat Mexico by a score of 2-0 to increase its hopes of moving on.
