Amsterdam Police Announce Five Additional Arrests Following Post-Football Match Violence

Authorities in the Netherlands have apprehended an additional five individuals in connection with the unrest that occurred in Amsterdam on Thursday night, subsequent to a football game involving an Israeli team. These five Dutch men, whose ages range from 18 to 37, are suspected of engaging in “public violence against persons” both preceding and following the match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and the local club, Ajax. The city experienced a renewed outbreak of disturbances on Monday evening, during which an unoccupied tram and a police vehicle were set on fire. Dutch media outlets reported that some participants in the unrest were heard chanting “Free Palestine”. Earlier on Monday, Prime Minister Dick Schoof characterized “antisemitic attacks against Israelis and Jews” as being “nothing short of shocking and reprehensible”. Public demonstrations in Amsterdam have been prohibited temporarily until Thursday. However, a pro-Palestinian demonstration received authorization to proceed in a park situated outside the city center. Activists have expressed their desire to organize an additional protest in front of Amsterdam city hall. According to official statements, last week saw young individuals on scooters conduct “hit-and-run” assaults on Maccabi supporters throughout the Dutch capital following the Europa League fixture. Five individuals received medical attention at a hospital, while others sustained less severe injuries. These five recent arrests add to the 63 detentions previously announced by authorities since the initial outbreak of violence. Of the five newly apprehended individuals, one has been released from custody but continues to be considered a suspect. Law enforcement officials also carried out multiple arrests subsequent to the renewed disturbances that occurred in the city on Monday. No injuries were reported in connection with these incidents. In a western suburb, specifically on ’40-’45 Square, numerous young people clad in black caused damage to vehicles, and the tram was targeted. Social media footage depicts a tram being assailed with fireworks, resulting in its windows being broken. The ANP news agency reported that a fire on the tram was promptly put out, and riot police dispersed the area, leading to arrests. Separately, a police vehicle was ignited in another location. Prime Minister Schoof pledged that the Netherlands would prioritize ensuring that those responsible for Thursday’s violence face legal consequences. Addressing journalists, he stated, “The images and reports for Amsterdam and what we’ve seen this weekend of antisemitic attacks against Israelis and Jews are nothing short of shocking and reprehensible.” He additionally addressed accounts suggesting that Maccabi supporters in Amsterdam had assaulted a taxi, burned a Palestinian flag, and chanted anti-Arab slogans. He remarked, “We are well aware of what happened earlier with Maccabi supporters but we think that’s of a different category and we condemn any violence as well, but that is no excuse whatsoever for what happened later on that night in the attacks on Jews in Amsterdam.” The extensive prohibition on pro-Palestinian demonstrations has provoked anger among activists. Some have contended that they ought to have the freedom to express their opposition to Israel’s conduct in Gaza and the behavior of Maccabi supporters. Police chief Peter Holla noted that “on both sides” there had been incidents during the confrontations on Thursday. In a related but distinct development, Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Europa League fixture scheduled for 28 November has been relocated from Istanbul to Debrecen, Hungary. Uefa, European football’s governing body, announced that the game against Besiktas would proceed without spectators, a decision made by Hungarian authorities. Last week’s violence in Amsterdam drew condemnation from leaders throughout Europe, the United States, and Israel. For numerous observers, its timing was particularly unsettling, occurring on the eve of observances commemorating the Nazi pogroms against German Jews in November 1938. During World War Two, three-quarters of the Jewish population in the Netherlands perished in the Holocaust. Reports indicate a rise in antisemitic incidents across Europe since the commencement of the conflict in Gaza, which began just over a year ago.