More than 80 supporters have been arrested following violence in Casablanca (west) and Oujda (northeast) on the sidelines of two Moroccan soccer league matches, local media reported Thursday. Police in the Casablanca metropolis arrested 45 people, including 31 minors, suspected of committing “acts of violence” and “causing material damage to public property,” police sources cited by media reported Wednesday evening.
These incidents took place during and after a match between Raja Casablanca and the Royal Armed Forces (FAR) club. The same sources reported that four policemen were injured as a result of stone throwing, and two cars were damaged. In Oujda on Wednesday night, 39 supporters were arrested for “violence”, “theft” or “possession of knives” on the sidelines of the Mouloudia d’Oujda-Vayadad de Casablanca match, according to the same sources. During these clashes, 69 policemen were lightly injured, and a security guard was hospitalized.
These incidents come more than three months after violent clashes between football fans in Rabat and Agadir, during which several people were arrested. The March 13 clashes in the kingdom’s capital led to the sentencing of eight supporters to prison terms ranging from 4 months to a year. In recent years, Moroccan stadiums have become the scene of fan violence. So the fights are often against the ultras of the two leading clubs in Casablanca, Vajdad and Raja, including outside the stadiums.
After the death of two sympathizers in early 2016, authorities disbanded ultras groups to combat hooliganism, even banning any distinctive signs (slogans and banners) from stadiums. However, the authorities again allowed the presence of ultras from March 2018.
Source: Le Figaro
