EXPLAINER
Tensions in the capital of the Netherlands had been brewing after Maccabi football fans took down a Palestine flag.
The Dutch capital of Amsterdam is under strict security measures after clashes erupted this week between pro-Palestine supporters and fans of an Israeli football club before a UEFA Europa League match.
Tensions first escalated when Israeli football fans reportedly took down a Palestinian flag and chanted anti-Arab slogans – like “F*** you Palestine” and “No children left in Gaza”, according to videos verified by Reuters and eyewitnesses Al Jazeera spoke to on the ground – before their club’s match with a Dutch team.
Here’s what we know about the clashes, and the lead-up to the violence.
What happened in Amsterdam, and when?
- Tensions in the city started building on Wednesday when supporters of the Israeli football club Maccabi Tel Aviv arrived in Amsterdam. Their match against Ajax, a Dutch football club, was scheduled for the next day.
- Later on Wednesday, Maccabi fans burned a Palestinian flag in the central Dam Square and vandalised a taxi, Amsterdam’s Police Chief Peter Holla told a news conference on Friday. A video verified by Reuters showed Maccabi fans setting off flares and chanting, “Ole, ole, let the [Israeli army] win, and F*** the Arabs”.
- Israeli fans also attacked houses displaying Palestinian flags, Jazie Veldhuyzen, a member of the Amsterdam City Council, told Al Jazeera.
- On Thursday evening, Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters were chanting anti-Arab slogans as they marched towards the football stadium, video footage showed. Police escorted the fans to the match, and local authorities banned pro-Palestinian demonstrators from gathering outside the stadium. A pro-Palestinian march had been organised nearby at Anton de Komplein Square.
- Ajax won the UEFA Europa League match against Maccabi 5-0. The game proceeded smoothly.
- Following the match, groups on scooters targeted the Maccabi supporters as they made their way to the city centre.
- Riot police intervened. Some fans were escorted to their hotels by bus with police escorts. An additional 600 police officers were deployed.
- Sixty-two individuals were detained in connection with the attacks as police officers tried to control the situation. Ten remained in custody on Friday, the city’s chief public prosecutor, Rene de Beukelaer, told reporters at a news conference on Friday. On Saturday, Amsterdam prosecutors said 10 people are suspected of crimes including vandalism, while 40 suspects have been given fines for disturbing public order.
- Further arrests could be made as Amsterdam police pour through security camera footage, social media posts, and other evidence to identify those involved in the clashes.
Where did it happen?
The clashes erupted in Amsterdam’s city centre, around Dam Square and Amsterdam Central Station.
Police said that the fans left the stadium calmly and without clashes.
How have authorities responded?
- Amsterdam’s Mayor Femke Halsema, who had called the attacks “anti-Semitic hit-and-run squads”, imposed a temporary three-day ban on demonstrations, effective from Friday to Sunday.
- Emergency measures, including stop-and-search powers and a ban on face coverings, have also been imposed.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed the country’s spy agency, Mossad, to develop a plan to prevent violence at international events, he announced in a video statement. “I have instructed the head of the Mossad [David Barnea] and other officials to prepare our courses of action, our alert system and our organisation for a new situation,” Netanyahu stated.
- The Israeli government initially ordered two planes to be sent to Amsterdam to bring fans home, but later, Netanyahu’s office announced it would arrange commercial flights instead.
- Many fans were escorted by police-protected buses to Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport.
- Maccabi advised its supporters to remain in hotels and avoid wearing or displaying visible Jewish symbols until departure. UEFA, European football’s governing body, said it would investigate the incident and review security protocols for future matches.
Was anyone hurt?
- Five individuals were hospitalised and released on Friday, Amsterdam police confirmed, although they provided no further information about whether the injured were Dutch or Israeli.
- An additional 20 to 30 people suffered minor injuries. Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said 10 Israelis were injured.
- Mayor Halsema said Maccabi Tel Aviv fans had been “attacked, abused and pelted with fireworks” around the city.
- At least one fan reported injuries from a rock thrown at his head.
- Additionally, Amsterdam police spokesperson Sara Tillart said it was too early in their investigation to determine whether any people other than football fans were targeted.
What’s the latest on the ground?
Order in Amsterdam had been restored by around 3am local time (02:00 GMT) on Friday, said Police Chief Holla. Heightened security measures remain in place, particularly around Jewish buildings and monuments.
What international reaction has there been?
- Israel’s close ally United States President Biden condemned the attacks as “despicable” and said they “echo dark moments in history when Jews were persecuted”.
- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed shock about the events, a UN spokesperson said.
- Meanwhile, the UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory, Francesca Albanese, criticised Western media outlets for minimising the actions of the Israeli fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv ahead of the clashes.
- Dima Said from the Palestine Football Association said the incident’s framing as anti-Semitic was unfortunate. “It was very unfortunate for us as Palestinians, to keep framing this incident [as] anti-Semitic, instead of addressing the main question, which is, why are Israeli clubs like Maccabi Tel Aviv permitted to compete on international stages while Israel is committing acts of genocide, occupation and dispossession of Palestinians?” she said to Al Jazeera, speaking from Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.
What’s next?
The past few days of violence have raised safety concerns about future matches involving Israeli teams in Europe. Maccabi Tel Aviv’s next scheduled away game in the Europa League is against the Turkish club Besiktas. Turkish authorities have already decided that the match will not be played in Istanbul and are discussing an alternative neutral venue.
Meanwhile, France’s Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau confirmed that the Israeli national football team’s match in Paris for the Nations League would proceed as scheduled on November 14.