Soaring levels of tension simmered in the background as the streets of Amsterdam became the scene of a series of violent clashes this week. While Israeli Maccabi Tel Aviv and Dutch Ajax clashed on the football pitch, sympathizers from both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict turned on each other in the streets. Group stage matches in the Europa League and the ever-inflamed conflict in the Middle East quickly proved to be an explosive mix that caught fire on social media. We know this about how the riots unfolded. The day before the day The prelude to the chaos already started on Wednesday evening, with disturbances from both sides, according to local police: Maccabi supporters tore down flags from a house. Videos from social media show a person tearing down a Palestinian flag. A Palestinian flag was later set on fire in the center of Amsterdam. Maccabi supporters vandalized a taxi, according to Amsterdam’s police chief, writes The Guardian. Local taxi drivers were then encouraged to mobilize. Several of them later gathered outside a casino where 400 Maccabi supporters were staying. The supporters were escorted out by the police before the situation escalated. A Palestinian flag was torn down from a residence in Amsterdam. Confrontations before the match On Thursday afternoon, hundreds of Maccabi supporters gathered at Dam Square in the center of Amsterdam ahead of the match. Palestinian supporters sought out the gathering place. According to the police, it resulted in confrontations, “hit-and-run” attacks and the setting off of fireworks. A number of people were arrested following the confrontations that arose. A total of 3,000 Maccabi supporters were in Amsterdam to watch the match, according to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. Maccabi supporters in the stands during Thursday’s match against Ajax in Amsterdam. Photo: ROBIN VAN LONKHUIJSEN / ANP / AFP Just before the start of the match, there was a minute’s silence for the flood victims in Valencia, Spain. Videos published on social media are said to show that several of the Israeli supporters refused to be quiet during the commemoration. While the match was going on, pro-Palestinian protesters gathered in the area outside the stadium – despite local authorities telling the protesters to stay some distance away. Pro-Palestinian protesters moved around the area around Ajax’s home ground during the match against Maccabi Tel Aviv on Thursday. Photo: InterVision / AP Escalated after the match A video verified by news shows Maccabi supporters on their way down an escalator chanting “Let the IDF win – fuck the Arabs”: Videos on social media show Maccabi supporters chanting “Let the IDF win – fuck the Arabs” Arabs”. news has verified the video. According to Haaretz, several Israelis were attacked by perpetrators of violence who shouted “liberate Palestine” and other insults in Arabic. This is said to have happened late on Thursday evening, after the match – when the scale of the clashes seriously escalated. The police have confirmed that rioters attacked Israeli supporters, but have not said anything about who they think the rioters are. Social media was filled with speculation on Friday about possible missing persons and an alleged hostage situation. The police in Amsterdam have investigated the claims and refuted them. Alleged Maccabi supporters attacked On Sunday evening, the Reuters news agency shared a video which purports to show Maccabi supporters returning to the city center on Thursday evening after the match. The people in the video attack others outside the central station in Amsterdam. news has not been able to verify which sides of the conflict the various parties in the video stand on. On Thursday evening violent clashes broke out in Amsterdam in the wake of the football match between Israeli Maccabi Tel Aviv and Dutch Ajax. On X, the woman who filmed the video writes that it was Maccabi supporters who attacked locals after the match. She also writes that several media have published the video and claimed that it was Israeli supporters who were attacked. On Saturday evening, the German news program Tagesschau edited a feature in which the video was used. In the program’s correction log, it is stated that the feature was changed because the video did not show attacks on Israeli football supporters. Expect more arrests More than 60 people were arrested after the riots in Amsterdam’s streets. Around 40 of them have been fined for disturbing peace and order. Most of them have now been released, while a handful are in custody. The police are working to identify other suspects, and expect that more will be arrested in the future, writes the Dutch broadcaster NOS. Five people were taken to hospital but were discharged on Friday. In total, between 20 and 30 Maccabi supporters were slightly injured, according to the police. Demonstrations in Amsterdam have been banned throughout the weekend. Despite the ban, several people gathered for a pro-Palestinian demonstration on Sunday, according to NOS. Pro-Palestinians have gathered for a demonstration in Amsterdam, despite a ban on demonstrations. Photo: Anthony Deutsch / Reuters A series of condemnations The attacks have been condemned by both Israeli, Dutch and other European politicians. The Palestinian Authority has asked the Netherlands to protect Arabs in Amsterdam, and has condemned anti-Arab slogans and attacks on Palestinian flags. A number of senior figures, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have described the attacks on Maccabi supporters as anti-Semitic. Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said on Friday that he was ashamed of the attacks, and that he believed they were a sign of growing anti-Semitism in the country. King Willem-Alexander has also pointed to the same. – We cannot turn a blind eye to anti-Semitic behavior in our streets. Our history has shown us how harassment goes from bad to worse, with dire consequences, he said. Published 10.11.2024, at 18.05
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This is what we know about the violent clashes in Amsterdam – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
