France: Boy killed in riots after Morocco fans clash after defeat in World Cup semi-final against France

After Morocco was defeated by France in the FIFA World Cup semi-final last night, France supporters took to the streets in the cities of Paris, Nice, Lyon, and Montpellier to celebrate. However, it soon turned nightmare as a teenage boy was run down on the streets of Montpellier after Moroccan fans started riots.

 

 

A 14-year-old boy was being run down in Rue de la Mosson near the football stadium in Montpellier, France. The young boy seems to have been part of a group that may have been Moroccan football supporters, who surrounded a car with a French flag on it. The group attempted to steal the flag, which caused the driver to panic and perform a U-turn, which struck the teenage boy.

 

 

Several videos currently going viral on social media in which football fans can be seen clashing. Fireworks and flares can be seen belong flung across in Montpellier, while people are seen climbing a monument while holding red flares.

 

 

It is pertinent to mention that riot police were heavily deployed across several cities including Paris as the match had political and emotional resonance for both countries. France is a former colonial ruler of Morocco and has a large Moroccan diaspora, estimated to number around one million people, which is concentrated in Paris and the Mediterranean coast.

 

 

In Brussels meanwhile, roughly 100 Moroccan fans gathered near Brussels South station, throwing fireworks and other objects at lines of police dressed in riot gear but dispersed quickly when tear gas was deployed.

 

However, this was not the first time in this World Cup that Moroccan fans were involved in riots after a game. The Moroccan fans had earlier created a ruckus on the streets of Paris after their national team's victory over Portugal in the FIFA WC quarterfinal.

 

On Wednesday night, Theo Hernandez scored the opening goal for France in the 5th minute, while the defending champions took a 2-0 lead in the 79th minute, courtesy of Randal Kolo Muani’s goal, and sealed their place against Argentina in the World Cup final.