Amsterdam preparing for unrest as World Cup with late-night matches kicks off
The municipality of Amsterdam is preparing for potential unrest surrounding the FIFA World Cup, which kicks off this evening. As the World Cup is in Mexico, Canada, and the United States this year, the time difference means that many matches will happen during the early morning hours. The police are standing ready for potential nighttime deployment should celebrations get out of hand, the Telegraaf reported.
The World Cup kicks off at 9:00 p.m. on Thursday, Dutch time, with a match between Mexico and South Africa. Oranje’s first match is against Japan at 10:00 p.m. on Sunday. But it is not only the Dutch national team that can count on support among Amsterdam residents. The city also has large Moroccan and Turkish communities, among others.
“The police are monitoring the situation surrounding every World Cup match, assessing the associated risks, and preparing accordingly with the appropriate deployment,” a spokesperson for the municipality told the Telegraaf.
The city is also taking preparatory steps to monitor and manage any spontaneous celebrations. “These usually proceed festively, and there is room for that, but it cannot be ruled out in advance that the celebrations could be accompanied by disturbances of public order.”
Amsterdam is also looking beyond police deployment. Street coaches, youth workers, enforcement officers, and community parents will be present at and around matches to speak to young people and keep emotions in check.
Amsterdam is one of around 170 Dutch municipalities that decided to allow pubs and bars to stay open late for overnight football matches.
