Morocco’s win against the Netherlands in the World Cup during the night to Tuesday led to extensive “celebrations” in several Dutch cities during the night. Thousands of so-called Dutch people were actually rooting for Morocco, and the festivities resulted in riots where police were forced to intervene in riot gear.

The night into Tuesday offered several surprises at the World Cup. Paraguay caused an upset by eliminating Germany, the 2014 world champions, after a penalty shootout. This was followed by Morocco’s penalty win over the Netherlands. Brazil too had to fight into the final minutes of extra time on Monday before securing progression against Japan.

The close matches have triggered strong emotions, perhaps strongest in the Netherlands, but it was not disappointed Dutch fans who caused disturbances in the streets, but rather thousands of people with Moroccan backgrounds celebrating Morocco’s victory over the country they live in.

After the final whistle around 6 a.m., the streets in cities such as Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, and Amersfoort were filled with joyful Morocco supporters.

Drivers rode through neighborhoods with Moroccan flags out of the windows as car horns blared. Fireworks were launched and people gathered in squares and residential areas to celebrate the team’s advancement.

In Utrecht, celebrations were reported in areas such as Overvecht, Lombok, and Kanaleneiland. In Amsterdam, the partying continued for several hours, especially in Nieuw-West where hundreds of people gathered around Plein ’40-’45 after watching the match on big screens or in cafés.

Confrontation with Police

The biggest problems arose in The Hague, where hundreds gathered in the Schilderswijk district – an area where celebrations after Moroccan national team victories in the past have led to confrontations with the police.

Authorities had therefore prepared a major police operation even before kickoff. Mounted police, bicycle patrols, regular officers, and riot police were present in the neighborhood.

Around 6:30 a.m., the situation changed as fireworks, stones, and other objects were thrown at police. Riot police then intervened and used water cannons to disperse the crowd on Vaillantlaan. At least one person was arrested in connection with the intervention.

Police cordoned off the area with several police vehicles while cars drove around honking and fireworks continued to be set off.