Morocco World Cup win celebrated in Dutch cities; Riot police out in Rotterdam, The Hague

Fans of the Moroccan national football team took to the streets in several cities Saturday night to celebrate the team’s victory over Canada during a World Cup knockout match at the played in Houston, Texas. Celebratory crowds gathered in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, and Amersfoort, among other locations. While the festivities were largely upbeat, riot police intervened in a few locations.

Reporters observed fireworks being set off on streets and sidewalks, honking horns, and frequent cheers. In Amersfoort, the crowd of fans gathered at the De Stier roundabout and the Van Randwijcklaan, among other locations.

Hundreds of Morocco supporters gathered on and around Plein '40-'45 in Amsterdam Nieuw-West to celebrate. Like in Amsterdam-Oost along Molukkenstraat and Insulindenweg, revelers with scooters, mopeds, or motorcycles were revving their exhausts. Fireworks and the occasional smoke bomb we’re set off.

The street around Plein ‘40-‘45 was cordoned off and no trams were running. At the intersection with Burgemeester de Vlugtlaan, several people climbed traffic lights. The police were present in large numbers but remained mostly at a distance. The atmosphere was cordial for much of the night.

There were more than a thousand people in the Schilderswijk in The Hague. The celebration at the intersection of Vaillantlaan and Hoefkade initially took place in a festive atmosphere, but the mood seemed to change over the course of the evening.

Local volunteers tried to direct the crowd towards Hoefkade. A fan zone was set up, and the mood was exuberant with dancing fans.

The police arrested two men. One was a man wearing a Spiderman mask. The other was part of a small group of men wearing masks and other face coverings who were walking with a banner. He likely threw a shoe at the police, an ANP reporter observed.

The riot police intervened during the unrest in The Hague's Schilderswijk district. Shortly after 11 p.m., Mayor Jan van Zanen issued an emergency order for part of the district, where unrest broke out following Morocco's World Cup victory over Canada.

To drive the crowd out of the neighborhood, a water cannon with a powerful jet was used, and mounted police were deployed. The police were pelted with fireworks and eggs, and at least two men have been arrested.

Around midnight, calm appeared to have returned to the Schilderswijk. Police in The Hague could not say how many people have been arrested.

In Rotterdam, fireworks and eggs were reportedly thrown at police officers in the city center, Rijnmond reports. A police spokesperson stated that there was some unrest in a few locations, but that the vast majority of the crowd is simply celebrating.

"We are in contact with the public." But riot police were eventually dispatched at the Eerste Middellandstraat in Rotterdam where officers were also pelted with eggs, a spokesperson said.

The operation had to be carried out because a group of people blocked an emergency route used by ambulances and the fire department. A police spokesperson said that they were asked to leave three times and that riot police were deployed when the group refused to do so.

It is still unknown whether anyone was arrested, and if so, how many. An apparent arrest can be seen in video footage.