Fans of the Israeli football club Maccabi Tel Aviv clashed with alleged pro-Palestinian protesters in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on Thursday evening. This happened before the kick-off of the European League match against the local club Ajax and after the end of the duel, which ended with a 5-0 victory for the Dutch favorite.
The tension arose despite Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema’s ban on the pro-Palestinian demonstration.
She issued an order banning the demonstration due to fears that there would be conflicts between protesters and supporters of the Israeli club.
During the riots, anti-Semitic rioters “actively sought out Israeli supporters to attack,” according to Amsterdam authorities. An unspecified number of people were injured during the violence.
According to foreign media, riots broke out when Maccabi hooligans tore down the Palestinian flag on one of the buildings.
“They started attacking the taxi driver. First they destroyed his car and later they beat him up,” says one of the witnesses.
Political leaders from both the Netherlands and Israel condemned the violence, calling it anti-Semitic. In the meantime, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the dispatch of two planes to help Israeli citizens in Amsterdam.
VIDEO: Riots in Amsterdam before the Europa League match
In a statement released by his office, he expressed grave concern over the “horrific incident” and asked the Dutch government to take strong and swift action against those involved.
Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, also condemned the violence in his post on Platform X.
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said on Platform X that he was “horrified” by reports of violence.
“Completely unacceptable anti-Semitic attacks on Israelis. I am in close contact with all those involved,” he added, adding that he had spoken to Netanyahu and “stressed that the perpetrators will be tracked down and prosecuted.” “It’s quiet in the capital now,” Schoof declared.
Geert Wilders, the hard-right nationalist lawmaker whose party won elections in the Netherlands last year, reacted to the video, which appears to show a Maccabi fan surrounded by several men.
“It looks like a hunt for Jews in the streets of Amsterdam. Arrest and deport the multicultural scum who attacked Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters in our streets. I am ashamed that this can happen in the Netherlands. Totally unacceptable,” said Wilders.
Source: sportweb.pravda.sk
