A police chief warned on Tuesday of calls for riots in Amsterdam, after dozens of people armed with clubs and explosives set fire to a train on Monday night as the city grapples with chaos following last week's violence against fans of an Israeli football club.
Olivier Dutilh, of the Amsterdam police, told the court that “we have signs of similar unrest” in the west of the city.
Police said Monday's fire was quickly extinguished and riot police cleared the scene. Pictures online showed people damaging property and setting off fireworks. Later on, a police car was set on fire on a nearby road and the police said they suspect it was set on fire.
The police said that it is not clear who started the unrest and whether it is related to what happened last week. Some rioters could be heard in a video shared on social media using derogatory terms against Jewish people.
The police said they have arrested three suspects and are asking for witnesses, including the incident of the assault of a cyclist who was hit while riding over the chaos.
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The police noticed a tense situation as five people were treated in hospital and dozens were arrested on Thursday following the Maccabi Tel Aviv-Ajax match. The youth on motorcycles and on foot went in search of Israeli supporters, punched and kicked them and then ran away to avoid the police, according to the Mayor of Amsterdam.
Pro-Palestine protesters were banned by local authorities from assembling outside the stadium. Before the match, Maccabi fans also tore down the Palestinian flag from the building in Amsterdam and chanted anti-Arab slogans on their way to the stadium. It was also reported that Maccabi fans started fighting.
Dutch police announced five new arrests Monday in their investigation into the earlier violence. The suspects are men between 18 and 37 years old, and they are from Amsterdam or nearby cities. Four are still in custody, the fifth has been released but is still a suspect.
Earlier, the police said that the other four men who were arrested last week will still be taken into custody as the investigation is ongoing. Two of these are children, a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old from Amsterdam. The other two men came from Amsterdam and a nearby town.
Police said they have identified more than 170 witnesses and taken evidence from many of them. Prime Minister Dick Schoof said they are also checking the videos posted on social media.
Schoof met with community leaders on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the issue of religious intolerance.
Reports of anti-Semitic rhetoric, vandalism and violence have been on the rise in Europe since the start of the war in Gaza, with tensions rising in Amsterdam ahead of Thursday night's game.
The mayor banned all protests in the city and declared several areas of danger in Amsterdam where the police can stop and search anyone. Dozens were arrested on Sunday for taking part in a pro-Palestinian demonstration in central Amsterdam that was banned.
A small protest was broken up by police on Tuesday outside Amsterdam's City Hall during a debate on riots, Dutch broadcaster NOS reported.
© 2024 The Canadian Press
