Big party on the Amsterdam Mercatorplein after a semi-final Moroccan team
The Mercatorplein in Amsterdam-West is again full of fans of the Moroccan national team tonight. The team won 1-0 against Portugal today and has thus qualified for the semi-finals.
Around 6.45 pm there were about a thousand fans. According to an AT5 reporter, there is a good atmosphere. There were fireworks, but so far no heavy fireworks. Around 6.50 pm there was a first really loud bang.
The police tweeted around that time that it is in several places in the city and that heavy fireworks are set off. When asked, a police spokesman could not say exactly which places it was, but says that different positions were performed. “We don’t think heavy fireworks are a party, so it is noted against it, if it is safe for colleagues at that time.”
The Cornelis Leylaan in Nieuw-West was completely stuck around 6.45 pm with honking cars. Images from a local resident show that riot police vans have to pass by the cycle path.
The fans earlier this evening at the Mercatorplein earlier this evening:
Morocco scored in the 42nd minute. Several chances followed, but Portugal failed to score. Morocco has never come this far in a World Cup tournament.
Morocco has won this World Cup three times before. Every time it started with a party on Mercatorplein, but eventually it became confused, with the name that heavy fireworks were thrown. this is the Mercatorplein again a safety risk area today.
Several buses run to:
Several roads to Mercatorplein have been secured by the Mobile Unit tonight. That was not the case after the three previous games.