Europa League: Violence in Amsterdam after the Ajax vs. Tel Aviv football match

Violent clashes between pro-Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli fans broke out in the Dutch capital following a football match between Ajax Amsterdam and Maccabi Tel Aviv. What exactly happened is unclear. According to police, there were minor confrontations in several locations in the center of the city. Almost 60 people were temporarily arrested.

Israeli UN Ambassador Danny Danon spoke on His government wanted to send two planes to pick up Maccabi supporters. Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof condemned these “unacceptable anti-Semitic attacks on Israelis” on X. He has now spoken to Netanyahu on the phone.

Media: Police protect Israelis and accompany them to hotels

According to Amsterdam police, fans of the Israeli club clashed with pro-Palestinian youth after the game. A total of 57 people were temporarily arrested. The police have no information as to whether there were any injuries. Ajax won the Europa League game 5-0.

Reporters from Amsterdam TV station AT5 reported that pro-Palestinian demonstrators threw chairs at Maccabi fans as they returned to the center from the stadium late Thursday evening. Mobile police forces shielded the Israelis and accompanied them to their hotels in buses.

Several Israeli politicians spoke of disturbing scenes of violence in which pro-Palestinian perpetrators literally hunted Jews – and referred to videos on social media. The Dutch police remained much more cautious in their presentation.

The radical right-wing populist Geert Wilders spoke on X about a hunt for Jews. “A pogrom in the streets of Amsterdam. (…) Muslims with Palestinian flags hunt Jews.” The German ambassador to Israel, Steffen Seibert, also expressed his outrage on X. “Chasing and beating Israeli football fans is not an anti-war protest.”

Clashes even before the game

Even before the game, there were clashes between Israeli football fans and security forces in the center of the city. According to police, around ten people were arrested for disturbing public order and the prohibited possession of fireworks.

Before the game there were also clashes near the stadium in the southeast of the city. According to the police, around 200 demonstrators tried to get to the venue. The city administration had previously banned a demonstration directly in front of the Johan Cruijff Arena and designated another location nearby for the rally. The security precautions had been significantly tightened before the game.