Dutch police arrest 17 people after celebrations for Morocco’s qualification for the 2026 World Cup

صحافة بلادي — Amsterdam –Dutch police arrested at least 17 people in the cities of The Hague and Rotterdam, following the celebrations that accompanied the Moroccan national team’s qualification to the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, as part of security interventions that followed violations recorded by the authorities during celebratory gatherings after the end of the match.

According to available data, the police in the city of The Hague carried out the largest number of arrests, arresting 13 people, including two people on suspicion of threatening security personnel with what was later revealed to be a pellet gun, while they arrested four people in the city of Rotterdam on charges related to assault and disturbing public order, after some revelers refused to leave the gathering places after the end of the permitted period.

These arrests came after the Moroccan national team’s victory over its Dutch counterpart on penalties (3-2), a victory that prompted thousands of fans, especially members of the Moroccan community, to celebrate in a number of Dutch cities.

The arrests sparked political and media reactions within the Netherlands, as a number of parliamentarians called for tightening security measures against those involved in acts of disorder, while the event revived discussion on issues of integration and the authorities’ handling of mass gatherings.

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On the other hand, observers and experts confirmed that most of the celebrations took place in a normal atmosphere, and that the arrests were related to a limited group of people, without reflecting the behavior of the Moroccan community that went out to celebrate the historic qualification of its national team

Source:“My press”