THOUSANDS of police have descended upon Paris in readiness for “civil war” to erupt during tonight’s World Cup semi-final thriller between France and Morocco.
Following desperate calls from officials, 10,000 French police have been mobilised across the country including 5,000 in Paris.
Worried residents and shop owners in Paris have been battening down ahead of the expected carnage this evening.
Jeanne d’Hauteserre, local mayor responsible for the Parisian district, asked for the world famous avenue to be closed during the football match.
She feared the Champs-Elysees could see a “civil war” unfold after the final whistle was blown.
She told French CNews: “When you want to celebrate victory, you don’t come with mortars. But these people are really only coming to smash with iron bars.
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“For Wednesday, everyone is afraid of a war, a guerrilla war, a civil war, and we do not want the Champs-Elysees to be transformed into a battlefield.”
Following Morocco’s stunning victory over Portugal last week, more than 20,000 adrenaline-fuelled fans flooded the avenue and caused chaos.
Sporadic clashes broke out between hooligans and police who fired tear gas and charged several times.
Several shops were damaged, cars were set on fire and there were 100 arrests.
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With millions of people expected to watch tonight’s match from TV screens, French police said they were bracing for a tough night.
Speaking on CNews, reservist gendarmerie captain Herve Moreau said: “On Wednesday, things will go badly for sure.
“Whatever people say, I can assure you there will be clashes and riots.”
The French colonial history of Morocco has caused divisions among some residents.
Between 1912 and 1956 the African nation was under French rule and was called the French Protectorate in Morocco.
Despite being granted independence, France still wields influence in the country causing a bit of resentment among some of the population.
There are about 1.5 million Moroccan community numbers that live in France.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
