Clashes in Amsterdam after Israeli vandalism, provocations
Dutch mobile Police officers stand guard after several scuffles broke out in Amsterdam following the UEFA Europa League, League phase - Matchday 4, football match between Ajax Amsterdam and Maccabi Tel Aviv, on November 8, 2024. (AFP)
Violence erupted across Amsterdam, the Netherlands late Thursday when supporters of Israeli football club Maccabi Tel Aviv stormed through the city, tearing down Palestinian flags displayed on private property and chanting incendiary slogans, according to reports and footage circulated widely on social media platforms.
The events, which unfolded before and after Maccabi’s match against Ajax, have ignited widespread outrage, with accounts of Israeli fans clashing with bystanders, damaging property, and burning the Palestinian flags.
Widely circulated videos on social media show Maccabi fans vandalizing private property, assaulting a local taxi driver, and clashing with law enforcement officials.
'Playing the victim'
Max Blumenthal, editor of The Grayzone News, commented on the footage, saying, "Many videos going around of Israeli soccer goons vandalizing property in Amsterdam, attacking cops and bystanders, and ripping down Palestinian flags. Now this fascist infestation is playing the victim and waiting for airlifts back to the colonies."
Sports journalist Leyla Hamed also said, "hooligans from the Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv marched through the streets of Amsterdam… They stole Palestinian flags from homes and even set a Palestinian flag on fire."
In response to the incidents, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced what he claimed was a "very violent incident against Israeli citizens in Amsterdam," and announced the dispatch of rescue planes to assist Israelis in the Dutch city.
Dozens of individuals were detained following altercations in Dam Square. Though the identities of those arrested have not been disclosed, many of them were from the pro-Palestine camp, as reports surfaced of Israelis being forced to say Free Palestine before being let go after sustaining a beating.
In light of the incidents, several central areas were declared “risk zones,” granting police the authority to conduct stop-and-search operations, as noted by Dutch News.
Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema said in a city council meeting that there were no legal grounds to ban Maccabi fans from attending the game, but a nearby pro-Palestine demonstration was banned to prevent potential clashes.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry reported that 10 Israelis sustained injuries and advised others in Amsterdam to remain in their hotels.
Israeli soldiers took part in Amsterdam riots
Touching on the events, Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported that the incident began when thousands of Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters, including Israeli soldiers, organized provocative marches through Amsterdam, adding that the events continued into the morning.
He mentioned that they repeated offensive, provocative slogans and threatened that the Israeli military would act against Arabs while mocking the children and people of the Gaza Strip.
The Israelis also took down dozens of Palestinian flags that Dutch citizens had placed on their windows and balconies for months as a symbol of support for the Palestinians, our correspondent confirmed, noting that this was documented in videos that circulated widely across social media, which also showed violent clashes between hundreds of Palestinian supporters of various nationalities and Israelis.
He added that footage shows hundreds of Israelis fleeing, with some throwing themselves into the nearby river in central Amsterdam, fearing retaliation from pro-Paletine supporters.
Regarding the situation in Amsterdam, Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported that the police arrested 57 individuals, whose identities remain unknown.
He pointed out that the Dutch government bears responsibility for the events, as it banned the pro-Palestine demonstration before the match and arrested two Palestinian supporters, while simultaneously allowing the Israelis to demonstrate and engage in provocative acts, including the removal of Palestinian flags.