Dutch police arrested 57 people in central Amsterdam after clashes broke out, reportedly involving local youths and Israeli football fans.
Prime Minister Dick Schoof condemned the “anti-Semitic attack” and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said two “rescue planes” were being sent to Amsterdam after what the Israeli military described as “severe and violent incidents against Israel”.
A police spokesman told Dutch media that riots broke out near Dam Square in the center of the capital, but did not say who was involved.
The fans of the Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv went to Amsterdam for the Europa Cup match against Ajax.
Schoof said he followed the incident in shock, adding that he had spoken to Netanyahu and insisted that “the perpetrators will be tracked down and prosecuted”.
There had already been arrests and trouble in Dam Square before the match involving Maccabi fans and pro-Palestinian protesters, and there were reports of fans setting off fireworks and tearing down a Palestinian flag on a nearby street.
But the unrest escalated after the game. The police said it was not yet clear who took part in the riots, telling the media that those involved were wearing black clothes.
There are many videos that have spread on social media, one shows a man being kicked to the ground, another shows a person being beaten. In other videos, people could be heard shouting Palestinian slogans, although this video has not been confirmed by the BBC.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog spoke of a “pogrom” against Maccabi fans and Israeli citizens. Dutch anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders, who leads the largest party in parliament, also spoke about the killings, saying “the authorities will be held accountable for their failure to protect Israeli citizens”.
Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema previously sought to prevent trouble by moving Palestinian protesters away from the Johan Cruyff Arena. But Dutch reports say that a large group then tried to go to the stadium, and were stopped by riot police.
Herzog said in X that he hopes that the Dutch authorities will act quickly “to protect, find and rescue all Israelis and Jews who are under attack”.
Source link
