By Simon Ormiston
Published on
Morocco’s dramatic penalty shoot-out victory over the Netherlands at the World Cup sparked jubilant celebrations in the Dutch city of The Hague overnight, before clashes with police led to a series of arrests.
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The last-32 tie in Monterrey finished 1-1 after extra time before Morocco prevailed in a tense shoot-out. After missed penalties by both teams, PSV Eindhoven forward Ismael Saibari calmly converted the decisive spot kick to send the Atlas Lions into the last 16, where they will face co-host Canada.
The Hague, home to one of the Netherlands’ largest Moroccan communities, erupted after the winning penalty. Around 32,000 residents of Moroccan descent live in the city, accounting for almost 6% of its population.
Many are descendants of workers who migrated from northern Morocco under a bilateral labour recruitment agreement signed in 1969 and Districts such as Schilderswijk have become centres of Moroccan-Dutch culture.
In Schilderswijk, supporters wrapped in Moroccan flags were dancing in the streets as car horns sounded and fireworks exploded. Several hundred fans gathered at a busy junction, kicking footballs into the air, celebrating with passing motorists and at times climbing onto cars.
About an hour into the festivities, riot police moved in to disperse the crowd, using water cannon and baton charges. Around a dozen arrests were made, with officers pinning several young men to the ground, handcuffing them and taking them away in police vans.
Dutch police said officers came under attack during the disturbances and AFP reported police hit some youths with batons.
“Heavy fireworks were set off” in Schilderswijk, police said, adding that officers were pelted with stones as riot squads and water cannon were deployed to break up the gathering.
“A few individuals have been arrested for committing open violence,” police said.
Additional sources • AFP, AP
