Dutch authorities mentioned 5 had been hospitalized and 62 arrested after attackers focused Israeli soccer followers earlier than and after a match within the nation’s capital.
Amsterdam has banned all demonstrations within the Dutch capital for 3 days beginning Friday after Israeli followers had been attacked in a single day in violence broadly condemned as anti-Semitic by European leaders.
Dutch police mentioned 5 individuals had been hospitalized and 62 had been arrested after the attackers “systematically focused Israeli followers.” The followers had been in Amsterdam to observe the Europa League match between Israeli staff Maccabi Tel Aviv and Dutch facet Ajax.
Ten of the arrested individuals, two of them minors, stay in police custody.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has despatched two planes to the Netherlands to deliver followers residence and is looking for larger safety for the Jewish group.
Netanyahu and his Dutch counterpart, Dick Shoof, condemned the assaults as anti-Semitic.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen mentioned she was “outraged” by the violence and spoke to Schoof.
“Anti-Semitism has completely no place in Europe,” he mentioned.
Other European leaders adopted go well with, with French President Emmanuel Macron saying the violence was “paying homage to essentially the most shameful hours in historical past.”
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz mentioned: “Whoever assaults the Jews assaults us all. Jews should be capable to really feel protected in Europe.”
His Austrian counterpart, Karl Nehammer, condemned anti-Semitic assaults “notably once they happen within the context of a sporting occasion that’s purported to unite individuals.”
“Outbreak of violence”
The violence on Thursday in Amsterdam erupted earlier than the match and continued after the match, which Ajax gained 5-0.
Before the match, a Palestinian flag was torn from a constructing within the metropolis heart and riot police prevented pro-Palestinian supporters from marching in the direction of the stadium, in line with Dutch broadcaster NOS.
Videos posted on social media confirmed chaos on the streets of Amsterdam, with males kicking one another and sirens blaring.
One broadly circulated video exhibits the attackers chanting anti-Israeli insults, whereas one other exhibits soccer followers chanting anti-Arab slogans earlier than the beginning of the match. Euronews has not independently verified both video.
Amsterdam’s appearing police chief, Peter Holla, mentioned followers had been “voluntarily attacked” over the course of the evening.
ANNOUNCEMENT“This outburst of violence towards Israeli supporters is unacceptable and can’t be defended in any approach,” Amsterdam police mentioned in a press release.
The clashes broke out regardless of Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema’s ban on a pro-Palestinian demonstration amid considerations about tensions between Israeli followers and native protesters.
Halsema mentioned Maccabi followers had been “attacked, abused and pelted with fireworks” by “anti-Semitic hit-and-run squads” who managed to elude 200 officers.
Authorities mentioned further safety measures had been put in place within the metropolis forward of the match, however {that a} danger evaluation carried out final month had discovered no concrete menace.
ANNOUNCEMENTHalsema proposed that Amsterdam City Council maintain an emergency debate on the incident, which is presently being investigated.
Dutch King Willem-Alexander drew a hyperlink between the Holocaust and Thursday evening’s violence, saying the Netherlands had “let down the Jewish group.”
The conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas has sparked protests throughout Europe.
In March, the opening of a brand new Holocaust museum in Amsterdam led to pro-Palestinian demonstrations throughout town.
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