Boy, 14, killed in clashes between France and Morocco fans after World Cup match
French MP expresses ‘immense sadness [that] a sporting event ends in absolute tragedy’
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A teenager has died in Montpellier amid the clashes that erupted between France and Morocco fans after the World Cup semi-final between the two nations on Wednesday evening.
Local officials said that the boy, 14, whose identity could not be verified, was “violently hit” by a car in the city, in the south of France.
He was taken to a hospital but died shortly afterwards, the department of Herault in southern France confirmed. Local reports said that the vehicle that hit the boy fled the scene soon after the incident.
Herault MP Nathalie Oziol expressed “immense sadness [that] a sporting event ends in absolute tragedy”. She wrote in a tweet: “I offer my condolences to the family.”
There were also violent scenes in neighbouring Belgium, with some 100 Moroccan fans clashing with police in central Brussels after the match.
Reuters reported that the fans threw fireworks and other objects at riot police and that officers responded with water cannon and teargas.
After France won the semi-final, jubilant scenes broke out on the Champs-Elysees in Paris, with tens of thousands taking to the streets to celebrate France’s win.
“What pleasure it will be to play Argentina in the final,” 24-year-old Sylvain Badin was quoted as saying by France 24. “I came to share a moment of joy.”
But despite a large police presence, trouble flared in the capital and in several French cities, with fans of the two teams clashing.
French media reports said police were investigating and on the lookout for the driver of the Montpellier vehicle. On social media, several videos showed crowds in the street milling around a car being driven erratically.
After France’s win, police in riot gear were called to several cities to disperse the clashing crowds.
It was reported that some 10,000 police officers were mobilised across France on Wednesday.
The Local reported that a group of about 40 people aligned with far-right groups were arrested for carrying prohibited weapons before they could get to the Champs-Elysees. “They clearly wanted to fight on the Champs,” a police source was quoted as saying.
Paris police reported 115 arrests by 1am local time, including in Creteil, where a small group of people had started a fire in a building by setting off fireworks.
In the southern French city of Nice, bins were set on fire and there were reports that men in balaclavas shouted racist abuse at Moroccan fans in the wake of the World Cup match.
France will now play Argentina in the Qatar 2022 final on Sunday, hoping to become the first country in 60 years to successfully defend the World Cup.
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