French and Moroccan fans have starred Wednesday in the first tensions after the French national team eliminated Morocco in the semifinals of the Qatar 2022 World Cup, an appointment for which the government has activated a strong police force in view of the possibility of serious disturbances.
In Nice, a group of hooded fans have insulted the Moroccan fans while some of them throw flares. Several hooded men have chased Moroccans, shouting: «Arabs out», as reported by the newspaper ‘Le Figaro’.
Meanwhile, in Nantes, numerous fans of both sides have gathered and launched fireworks, although for the moment no arrests or injuries have been reported in any of the French departments.
On the other hand, thousands of fans took to the streets of the French capital, Paris. The crowd, guarded by a heavy police presence, gathered on the Champs Elysees with flags and flares to celebrate the victory of the French team, which will seek to repeat the title won four years ago and the third in its history.
In other parts of the country, as in Bordeaux, fans have also taken to the streets with flares, fireworks and smoke bombs, which in departments such as Aquitaine and the Alpes-Maritimes have been banned.
The French government has mobilized 10,000 police and gendarmerie personnel to deal with possible disturbances after the match in a police operation that will include 5,000 agents in the Paris region alone, the capital.
The Executive led by Macron thus anticipates possible mobilizations such as those experienced on Saturday, when the teams of France and Morocco won their respective matches in the quarterfinals. Some 170 people were arrested throughout France, including about a hundred in Paris.
