Dozens of people armed with sticks and firecrackers set a tram on fire in Amsterdam on Monday, police said, as the city faces tensions following violence targeting fans of an Israeli soccer club last week.
Police said the fire was quickly extinguished and riot police cleared the square. Images online showed people destroying property and setting off firecrackers.
Police said it was unclear who started the riot or whether it was connected to what happened last week. But they noted the tense atmosphere since Thursday’s game between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax, when five people were treated in hospital and dozens were detained. According to the mayor of Amsterdam, the youths searched for Israeli fans on scooters and on foot, punching and kicking them before fleeing to evade police.
Dutch police on Monday announced five new arrests in an investigation into earlier riots. The suspects are men between the ages of 18 and 37 and are from Amsterdam or surrounding cities. Four people remain in custody. A fifth person was released but remains a suspect.
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Police previously announced that four other men arrested last week would remain in custody while investigations continued. Two of them are minors, aged 16 and 17, from Amsterdam. The remaining two are from Amsterdam and neighboring cities.
This image taken from video shows police officers in riot gear patrolling the streets of Amsterdam, Monday, November 11, 2024, as the city faces tensions following last week’s violence. are. (AP photo)
Police said they had identified more than 170 witnesses and had taken forensic evidence from dozens of people. Premier Dick Schauf said he was also investigating videos posted on social media.
Reports of anti-Semitic speech, vandalism and violence have increased in Europe since the start of the war in Gaza, and tensions are high in Amsterdam ahead of Thursday night’s match.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators were prohibited by local authorities from gathering outside the stadium. Before the match, Maccabi fans also tore down the Palestinian flag from a building in Amsterdam and chanted anti-Arab slogans on their way to the stadium. There were also reports that Maccabi fans started fighting.
The mayor banned all demonstrations in the city and declared police cordoned off in several parts of Amsterdam, open to police searches. Dozens of people were detained on Sunday for taking part in an outlawed pro-Palestinian demonstration in central Amsterdam.
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Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar rushed to the Netherlands on Friday to offer Israel’s cooperation in the police investigation. He met with the Dutch prime minister on Saturday and said in a statement that the attacks and demands for passports were “reminiscent of the dark ages of history.”
