Amsterdam fears another night of unrest as it grapples with anti-Semitism and violence

CNN
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Amsterdam police braced for another night of unrest on Tuesday as the Dutch capital grapples with anti-Semitic violence that began with attacks on visiting Israeli soccer fans last week.

The Dutch capital was placed under emergency measures last Friday, following the clashes that broke out after Thursday night’s soccer match between Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv and Dutch side Ajax.

Most protests have been banned and the police presence has been beefed up across the city, but the violence has not abated.

Amsterdam police chief Olivier Dutilh said his force was preparing for another turbulent night on Tuesday. “There are calls for similar situations in Amsterdam West tonight. It is happening right now. There are calls: women and children stay at home. It worries us.”

Clashes broke out just after 7pm on Monday in western Amsterdam, with a tram set on fire, windows smashed and police officers pelted with stones.

Videos posted on social media showed people shouting anti-Semitic slurs as a firework was lit inside the tram, shattering a window and causing the vehicle to burst into flames. Three people were arrested, the police said. One person in the group was injured by fireworks and treated at the scene.

Later on Monday, a passing cyclist was pulled from his bike and attacked and suffered heavy blows to the head, police said, adding that the suspect was detained while other rioters threw stones at the officers.

Police said the area was largely calm by 11 p.m., although a police bus near the scene was set on fire at around 11 p.m. 03:30.

The violence on Monday erupted after more than 50 people were arrested at a banned pro-Palestinian demonstration in central Amsterdam on Sunday.

The emergency measures will be in place until at least Thursday. Aside from the ban on protests, the city has also banned people from wearing face coverings when they are “accompanied by potential disturbances of public order.”

Amsterdam’s local government said a demonstration on Gaza planned for Tuesday was exempted from the protest ban, although it will take place in a park away from the city center.

Jewish institutions in the city have been given extra security.

The attacks have sparked outrage across the Netherlands. Amsterdam’s city council held an emergency debate on the violence on Tuesday, while the Dutch parliament is scheduled to discuss it on Wednesday, in a debate requested by far-right politician Geert Wilders.

The anti-Islam populist Wilders has taken the opportunity to denounce the violence as a product of what he calls the Netherlands’ “wide open borders” policy.

Tensions had risen leading up to Thursday night’s game, with several videos on social media showing Maccabi fans shouting anti-Arab slurs, praising Israeli military strikes in Gaza and shouting “f**k the Arabs.”

The day before the match, Maccabi supporters tore down flags and vandalized a taxi, according to Amsterdam police chief Peter Holla. A Palestinian flag was set on fire, he said.

Police said the rioters moved in small groups on foot, on scooters and in cars, ransacking the city and targeting Maccabi supporters in “hit-and-run” attacks. Several people were injured, five of whom were treated in hospitals.

That same evening, a call for taxi drivers to mobilize appeared online, with many driving to a casino where 400 Maccabi supporters were present, Holla continued. Police escorted the Israeli fans safely out of the casino, but there was still some unrest around the casino, he added.

In a public letter outlining the events last week, Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema said Monday that the violence stemmed “from a toxic combination of anti-Semitism, hooliganism and anger over the conflicts in Palestine and Israel and other countries in the Middle East. .”

She said in light of the violence, the city and police had considered canceling Thursday’s game, but found no legal reason to do so. She said police believed canceling the match could make the situation unmanageable given the large number of supporters already in the city.

Halsema also said she was initially unable to contact the Dutch prime minister when the violence broke out, but was in contact with the Israeli ambassador to the Netherlands.

“Recognizing the potential international implications, the mayor attempted to contact the prime minister at 3:00 a.m. Unable to reach him, she called the minister of justice and security and briefed him on the development. They agreed that the minister would inform the prime minister, ” the letter said.

Halsema described Thursday’s violence as an “outbreak of anti-Semitism” and referred to “Telegram groups where people were talking about hunting Jews.

“It’s so shocking, so reprehensible that I can’t get over it yet. It’s a disgrace,” she said at a press conference in Amsterdam’s city hall on Friday.

Police said 62 people, including 10 Israeli nationals, were arrested in connection with the violence on Thursday. The force said on Monday it had made six more arrests since then as it identified more suspects.

Four people – two minors aged 16 and 17 and two men aged 19 and 26 – remained in custody on Tuesday, according to the public prosecutor’s office.