Police officer injured, arrests made after London disorder following France's World Cup win
Quick Look
- Following France's 2-0 World Cup victory over Morocco, disorder broke out in London, leading to one police officer being hospitalized with a head injury and four arrests for violent disorder.
- Similar celebrations in France saw a tragic accident where a 17-year-old girl died.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Disorder occurred in London following France's World Cup quarter-final victory over Morocco. A similar incident was recorded in France where a teenager died during celebrations.
A police officer has been hurt and several people were arrested after disorder in London on Thursday night in the wake of France beating Morocco 2-0 in a World Cup quarter-final in Boston in the United States. Police and fans clashed on Edgware Road.
Footage on social media appears to show flares being set off and missiles being thrown at officers in the middle of a London street. The Metropolitan police said four people were arrested for violent disorder and one officer had been taken to hospital with a head injury after being hit by a glass bottle.
The force said: “Officers were initially called after a group of people congregated in the road and blocked traffic. The incident then escalated with the group throwing bottles and setting off fireworks. As a result, further officers were deployed to the area.
“One officer was taken to hospital for head injuries; it is believed he had been hit by a glass bottle. No other injuries were reported. Officers remained in the area and made four arrests for violent disorder, with the group dispersing and the road reopened from around 1am.
“We will not tolerate such disorder on our streets, or attacks on our officers … we will be reviewing CCTV and video footage circulating on social media to ensure all those responsible are brought to justice.”
The UK Football Policing Unit said 223 incidents related to the England-Mexico match in the early hours of Monday had been recorded in England and Wales. It said there had been six hate crime incidents and 32 incidents of domestic abuse and that it made 42 arrests linked to England’s dramatic victory, for which pubs were allowed to keep serving until 5am.
In France a 17-year-old girl fell off a truck and died while celebrating the win over Morocco, emergency services said. They said she “fell and was run over” by the vehicle and was declared dead at the scene at Aulnoye-Aymeries, near the northern city of Maubeuge.
The driver of the truck has been detained, and another teenager who witnessed the fall was taken to hospital in shock, authorities said.
Celebrations erupted across France after the victory, with hundreds dancing in the streets of Paris, watched by thousands of police on security duties.
Open Questions
- What is the condition of the injured police officer?
- Were there any other injuries reported in London?
- What specific CCTV footage is being reviewed?
