Friday night fights.

The Olympics had not even begun when the fighting started. 

Morocco fans stormed the field in a pre-Opening Ceremony match between their country and Argentina. 

Objects were thrown and invading Morocco fans were tackled by security on the field at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in Saint-Etienne after Argentina tied it 2-2 with a goal from Cristian Medina the 16th minute of added time.

Well, the rioters got what they wanted. The tying goal was disallowed, and Morocco won the game 2-1. 

Were the Morocco fans right about the goal being offside? Maybe, but that's not the point. We know it and the Moroccan hooligans certainly know it. The point is, and we see it again and again in Western nations, if you riot, you get your way -- as long as you're protected by the weenies running the show. Otherwise you get hunted down and disappeared into prison for years. 

I'm not saying that the Moroccans were free to act up because they are Muslim, although Paris is home to the annual Carbeque, the cookout of vehicles and other destruction of property in the city's no-police zones. Soccer (I will not call it football) thugs can be found in any country but America and maybe Canada, and Morocco is an ocean closer to Paris than Buenos Aires. If there'd been an equal number of fans from both countries in the stands, it could have been a much bigger brawl. 

But were the "invading" fans really all Morocco supporters, or were they just local Religion of Peace™ adherents looking for an excuse to cause trouble? To ask the question is to commit a hate crime. 

I'll be grateful if the French authorities get through the next couple of weeks without serious bloodshed. The way things have been going, though, I have strong doubts.