Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
After the events that took place during and after the previous matches of Morocco in the World Cup in Qatar, fear of riots and vandalism returns again in Brussels, the capital, and Antwerp, "the north of the country." Bikes and cars have been removed preemptively, though police and merchants are prepared for the worst. However, they hope that the elderly and volunteer parents will be able to prevent escalation through human chains that prevent the place for young men to celebrate and between the police and vital places.
According to local media, the quarter-final match between Morocco and Portugal, which starts at 4 pm, is a high-risk match. Winners or losers, large groups of supporters of Moroccan origin can be expected to congregate in the inner cities.
In Brussels, the police are preparing for possible events. Police spokeswoman Elsie Van de Kere says: "Security personnel will be clearly present on the ground in the capital." Various police districts work together with the Federal Police for this purpose. There were also consultations with people from the Moroccan community. Coordination will take place from the Regional Crisis Centre, where all relevant partners will be present.” The Mayor of Brussels, Philippe Clos, will also monitor the situation from there. “In the Crisis Centre, camera images are analyzed and the mayor, together with the police chiefs, will decide, The place of intervention.” “The approach will be similar to that of Morocco’s previous matches in the World Cup. There is no point in predicting in advance what may or may not happen.
Antwerp police are also preparing if things get out of control. On December 6, dozens of people were arrested in Antwerp, among other things, after a police station in Kiel was attacked after the match between Spain and Morocco. "We have made the preparations we deem necessary and we will be ready," confirms Willem Megum of the Antwerp police. He also praised the efforts of the elderly and young people of the Moroccan community, who were able to calm things down with a human chain. We are in close contact with young people working to keep the streets safe, who are trying to avoid confrontations. We can only applaud the presence of people urging calm.”
For fear of riots after Saturday's match, cars and bikes must disappear from the streets in certain neighborhoods of Brussels, to prevent these vehicles from catching fire again, as happened in the capital after the match between the Red Devils and Morocco.