Dozens of rioters torched a car, set electric scooters on fire and threw bricks at cars in Brussels after Belgium’s unexpected 2-0 loss to Morocco in the World Cup on Sunday.
Police used water cannon and teargas after coming under attack from football supporters who were angry after their defeat to Morocco.
Brussels Mayor Phillipe Close urged people to stay away from the city centre and said authorities were doing their utmost to keep order in the streets. Even subway ad tram traffic had to be interrupted by police orders.
“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 tweeted.
“I have ordered the police to carry out arrests of the troublemakers.”
Even before the match was over, “dozens of people including some wearing hoodies, sought confrontation with the police, which compromised public safety,” Brussels police said in a statement.
A spokeswoman said some fans were armed with sticks and a journalist “was injured in the face by fireworks”.
Around 100 police officers were mobilised to restore order while residents were warned to stay away from certain areas of the city centre. Metro stations were closed and streets were blocked to ensure that the spread of the violence is limited.
There were also disturbances in the city of Antwerp.
Police in the neighbouring Netherlands said violence erupted in the port city of Rotterdam, with riot officers attempting to break up a group of 500 football supporters who pelted police with fireworks and glass. Media reported unrest in the capital Amsterdam and The Hague.
The Belgian mood was in sharp contrast with Morocco, where people crowded the streets in celebration of their victory.
Source: The Guardian, Al Jazeera, News24 Sport, image from Twitter: @SaharaReporters