Vandalized metro stations, broken street furniture, these are the images of Brussels following the violence on Sunday. The riots broke out following Morocco’s victory over Belgium in the FIFA World Cup.
The burgomaster of the city, the mayor, asks not to stigmatize the Moroccan community and underlines that this violence originates from a small group of thugs who spoiled the sports festival.
“The toughest people in the condemnation are the Moroccan community. If you look on social media, they are the ones who are the hardest regarding it, because they were robbed of the joy of a victory. But I repeat, it is an extreme minority. But this minority, it must be brought to heel“, insists Philippe Close.
A hundred police officers intervened with water cannons to stop the violence and damage. The police carried out a dozen arrests, mainly very young thugs.
For some, these scuffles show the failure of the integration of minorities in Brussels. A charge rejected by Philippe Close.
“I think we manage to cohabit in Brussels precisely with its 184 nationalities, we are the second most cosmopolitan city in the world. There are a lot of things that are obviously going very well. But there are, like other cities, problems to be solved, security problems. But I repeat, they are confined to a very small area“, insists the politician.
Morocco will play this Thursday once morest Canada. The police are mobilized and local authorities say they are preparing, if necessary.
“If you want to party, no problem. If you come to break furniture, if you come to break in town, you will have to deal with the Brussels police“, summarizes the mayor.
For Philippe Close, the problem concerns the age of these young thugs. It calls for the responsibility of parents to contain any possible overflow.
