As France and Belgium face off in the round of 16 of Euro 2024, the mayors of ten municipalities on the Franco-Belgian border have announced measures. A way to limit possible excesses.
The duel between France and Belgium this Monday evening, July 1st, on the occasion of Euro 2024, worries the municipalities on the border between the two countries. “As soon as the match poster was unveiled, the mayors of the border towns located along the Lys met to agree on a strategy to prevent the disorders that could occur”, communicates the city of Comines.
The town of more than 12,000 inhabitants has agreed with nine others, including Armentières and two Belgian towns, to announce strong measures to prevent disturbances on this border of around twenty kilometres: closure of certain roads, ban on mass gatherings, roadblocks and numerous police forces.
The fear did not come out of nowhere, since the duel of the semi-final of the 2018 World Cup had created tensions between French and Belgian neighbours. “The Comines bridge had been invaded and there had been disturbances,” Mayor Eric Vanstaen recalled to AFP.
The Comines town hall has nevertheless announced the opening of three bridges to allow motorists to circulate. Hoping that the duel will be confined to the pitch of the Düsseldorf stadium.
Matthieu Giboire and Gabriel Baldi
