Police battled football fans in central London early on Friday after France’s 2-0 World Cup quarter-final win over Morocco, leaving one officer hospitalised with head injuries and four people arrested.
The trouble erupted on Edgware Road, near Hyde Park, where dozens of people blocked traffic before the situation escalated. “The incident then escalated with the group throwing bottles and setting off fireworks,” a police spokesman said. One officer was taken to hospital after being struck on the head, “it is believed he had been hit by a glass bottle”, the spokesman added.
“One officer injured and four arrested after violent disorder in London following France's World Cup quarter-final win over Morocco.”
Images shared on social media showed crowds standing in the street and some throwing objects at police lines. London police confirmed the disorder was “violent” and that one officer was injured. Four arrests were made.
Across the Channel, celebrations in France turned tragic after a 17-year-old girl fell off a truck and died while marking the win over Morocco, emergency services said. In Paris, hundreds danced in the streets under the watch of thousands of police officers on security duties.
The World Cup quarter-finals continue with Spain facing Belgium in a match that pits the Euro 2024 winners against perennial underachievers.