Authorities in the Netherlands made five more arrests as a result of the violence that took place on the streets of Amsterdam, following the game between local football team Ajax and Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv. This brings the number of prisoners to 68.
On Thursday night (7), fans of both teams witnessed scenes of fights and violence on the streets of Amsterdam. Maccabi fans were in town to watch the European League match.
Five people received hospital treatment and others had minor injuries. Following the episodes of violence, there were 63 arrests.
Earlier this week, five more arrests were announced – one person was released, but remains a suspect.
Unrest took over the city again on Monday night (11), when dozens of people armed with sticks and torches gathered in a suburb of the city, police reported.
Claiming solidarity with the Palestinians, young people set fire to an electric tram. Some protesters reportedly shouted “Free Palestine”, according to the country’s press. The vehicle fire was quickly extinguished and riot police cleared the square. There were no injuries reported.
The five detained men, all Dutch, are aged between 18 and 37. They are suspected of “public violence against people” before and after Maccabi’s match against Ajax, city authorities said.
Hours earlier, Prime Minister Dick Schoof declared that “the anti-Semitic attacks against Israelis and Jews were shocking and reprehensible.”
Schoof also spoke out about reports that Maccabi fans attacked a taxi and burned a Palestinian flag in Amsterdam, as well as shouting anti-Arab words.
“We are well aware of what happened before with the Maccabi fans, but we think this is on a different level. We condemn any violence, but that is no excuse for what happened later that night in the attacks on Jews in Amsterdam,” he stressed.
Police Chief Peter Holla added that there had been incidents “on both sides” during last week’s clashes.
This Tuesday (12), the Amsterdam city council will discuss and analyze the fights, which authorities call “anti-Semitic”. However, there are many reports from those who witnessed the violence and that there was provocation on the part of visiting Israeli fans.
According to Al Jazeera, the arrival of more than three thousand Maccabi fans from Tel Aviv to Amsterdam last week was not considered high risk by Dutch authorities. However, a Jewish activist reportedly told police that “these fans are widely known for political violence in Israel and many serve as soldiers in Gaza.”
Since the start of the war in Gaza just over a year ago, incidents against Jews have spread across Europe.
