Absolute chaos ensued in Belgium as vehicles were torched and shops were ransacked following the nation's shock defeat to Morocco in the 2022 FIFA World Cup on Sunday. See videos of the scary rioting that took place here.
The Red Devils' hopes of progressing to the knockout stage of the competition were dealt a huge blow on the weekend when Romain Saiss and Zakaria Aboukhlal gave Walid Regragui's Morocco a 2-0 win in their Group F encounter.
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The result was celebrated by Moroccan immigrant communities in several Belgium and Dutch cities, eventually leading to a number of violent clashes as rioters proceeded to smash shop windows, light fireworks, throw bricks and other objects, and torch vehicles.
According to Associated Press, a dozen people were arrested in Brussels as police were left with no choice but to deploy water cannons and fire tear gas to disperse the aggressive crowd. Parts of the city also had to be sealed off in a bid to break up the rioters.
In the Netherlands, law enforcement officers had to deal with huge groups of football supporters in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague who threw glass, lit fireworks and trashed their surroundings, while videos surfaced on social media showing people breaking the windows of a red car before flipping it and setting it alight.
Morroco fans in Brussels after their win against Belgium…This is what they're doing after a win, imagine if they'd lost… ??pic.twitter.com/i2G8azJRiQ
— The Away Fans (@theawayfans) November 27, 2022
Brussels this afternoon.IMPORT THE THIRD WORLDBECOME THE THIRD WORLD! pic.twitter.com/gtdGmkBENd
— UK Justice Forum ???? Latest Video News Updates! (@Justice_forum) November 27, 2022
Riot police also had to be deployed to Amsterdam's Mercatorplein, a square in the city's west that is home to a large Moroccan community.
Brussels mayor Philippe Close urged people to stay away from the city centre, and condemned the violence that was on display.
"Those are not fans, they are rioters. Moroccan fans are there to celebrate," the politician said, per AP.
"There were also disturbances in the city of Antwerp and Liege."
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Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden: "Sad to see how a few individuals abuse a situation to run amok."
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WATCH: FOOTAGE OF RIOTS IN BELGIUM AFTER MOROCCO LOSS