Key facts
- Dutch Deputy Prime Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius condemned Moroccan football fans for rioting after their team's World Cup defeat.
- Riots occurred in multiple Dutch cities, with fans throwing bottles and fireworks at police.
- Yeşilgöz-Zegerius, known for her tough stance on migration, called the fans "madmen" and questioned their behavior.
- Similar incidents of public violence were reported after previous Morocco matches in the tournament.
Dutch Deputy Prime Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius strongly criticized Moroccan football fans who engaged in riots across the Netherlands following their team's 2-0 defeat to France in the World Cup quarterfinal. Yeşilgöz-Zegerius, who leads the center-right People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), stated on X that these supporters acted like "madmen" regardless of the match outcome and questioned their sense of shame.
Reports from Dutch media indicated that fans took to the streets in several cities on Thursday night, throwing glass bottles and fireworks at police. Anti-riot officers were deployed to disperse the crowds. In Rotterdam, police were targeted with eggs, while in Amsterdam, rioters reportedly used fireworks and acted aggressively towards journalists.
Yeşilgöz-Zegerius is known for her firm stance on migration issues. This is not the first instance of unrest linked to Morocco's performance in the tournament; previous matches also resulted in arrests for public violence and disruption of public order.
Far-right leader Geert Wilders also commented on the situation, attributing the presence of "scum" in the country to the policies of Yeşilgöz-Zegerius's VVD party, which is part of the governing coalition.