Ahead Of The French 2022 World Cup Semifinals Vs Morocco, Thousands Of Security Apparatus Were Alerted In Paris And Around

Illustration of French police. (Wikimedia Commons/Kristofieffer

JAKARTA - Police in France are preparing ahead of the 2022 World Cup semifinals against Morocco Wednesday night at Al Bayt Stadium, Qatar.

About 10,000 police officers will be mobilized nationwide, of which 5,000 personnel will be stationed in the Ile-de-France region around Paris and approximately 2,200 in the capital, double the security staff's previous major World Cup games, Home Secretary Gerald Darmanin said on France 2 television.

"Our Morocco friends, like the French supporters, are welcome to throw parties and our job is not to stop them from partying. But this should be done under good security conditions," Darmanin said.

Earlier, clashes erupted in Paris on December 10 after Morocco defeated Portugal, as victory celebrations waved flags and honked horns, turning violent on the streets as rioters destroyed store windows, forcing riot police to use tear gas.

France is a former colonial ruler of Morocco and has a large Morocco diaspora, concentrated mainly around Paris and the Mediterranean coastal region.

Although ethnic figures do not exist in France, it is estimated that the number of French-Maroko and Morocco living in France is around one million.

Darmanin said Champs Elysees - a 70-meter-wide road that is often a focal point for spontaneous sporting celebrations and demonstrations - will not close on Wednesday. He said it might close on Sunday evening, after the World Cup final.

Darmanin said the weather could be very cold, as France is experiencing an unusual winter, with temperatures below zero and snow expected to fall in large parts of northern France.

"The weather is not very suitable to gather outdoors, but we hope that after all the weather, people will want to express their happiness, which is fine," said Darmanin.

Separately, Paris Police said security forces would focus on Champs Elysees to prevent vandalism and aggression.

To prevent traffic jams in the city center, several exites of the ring road around Paris will be closed from 22.00 CET (Central European Time) and access to several metro stations will be limited.

Starting around 18.00 CET, two hours before the start of the match, about 500 checkpoints will be placed in Paris and other areas, targeting fans carrying fireworks and smoke bombs.