Ahead of a soccer match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv, violence broke out as football hooligans, fans, taxi drivers and pro-Palestinian activists clashed near Amsterdam's canals and tram lines.
As both the Palestinian and Israeli governments seek protection for their citizens, The Independent asks what sparked the violence that left five people in hospital and dozens injured.
Before the game
Ahead of the match, Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema moved pro-Palestinian supporters away from the Johan Cruyff Arena to reduce potential clashes, although Israeli fans reportedly continued to gather in Dam Square, sparking clashes.
A police chief in Amsterdam said Maccabi fans attacked a taxi and set a Palestinian flag on fire the day before the match.
But Mayor Halsema said these actions are not an excuse for what comes later as violence breaks out in European cities.
On the day of the game
On the day of the match, more than 200 Maccabi Tel Aviv fans took to the streets of Amsterdam, some were filmed tearing down Palestinian flags and others chanting anti-Palestine slogans.
The police escorted them to the arena.
At the Johan Cruyff Stadium, just before kick-off in Tel Aviv fans ignored a moment of silence in honor of the victims of the recent floods in Spain, fueling further hostility on the pitch.
During the game
In the streets, the spread of this violence was further exacerbated when one protester was seen scaling a building to tear down the Palestinian flag. Taxi drivers seeking revenge attacked the group using apps to track victims, according to the Times.
The game ended with Maccabi Tel Aviv losing badly and Ajax winning 5-0.
One of the Israeli rioters involved in the riot was reportedly identified as an IDF soldier after the attackers took his passport.
One video confirmed by Reuters shows a group of men running near Amsterdam Central Station, chasing and beating other men, as police sirens blare.
Another appears to show a car riding on the pavement and apparently passing one of the Israeli supporters.
The result
The British people who quickly left the field were overwhelmed by this violence.
Aaron, 33, told the BBC he was punched in the face for helping an injured Israeli fan.
“We got to one of the central areas and we saw mopeds coming and some guys started beating an Israeli guy going back to his hotel,” he said, adding that they were talking about his religion and stomping on his head.
“Immediately after that, the same men who had attacked the Israelis came directly to us in our place, saying are you Jews? We said no, we are British.
One of the men then punched him.
“I was bleeding and had a black eye,” he says. “I'm fine but I'm a little scared.”
His friend Jacob added: “They wanted Jews and not only Israelis.”
The Mayor said that the city police were surprised after the security forces failed to flag the match against Ajax, which is usually identified as a Jewish team, as very dangerous.
He added that “anti-Semitic hit-and-run squads” were able to escape the force of about 200 police officers.
The mayor said that men on motorcycles roamed the city attacking supporters, and that it was reminiscent of the massacre of Jews in recent European history.
Dutch police have confirmed that 57 people have been arrested after the violent clashes.
Israeli officials stepped up their response, with Prime Minister Netanyahu preparing “rescue flights” for Israeli supporters, although the operation was later cancelled.
Amsterdam has banned protests for three days since Friday after an attack on soccer fans in Israel last night.
Efforts are underway to evacuate 2,751 Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from Amsterdam.
Israeli airlines El Al and Arkia have announced five flights to Amsterdam and Brussels.
Israel's embassy in The Hague said the mobs were chanting anti-Israel slogans and sharing videos of their violence on social media, “kicking, punching and even running over Israeli citizens”.
“On the eve of Kristallnacht – when Jews in Nazi Germany faced brutal attacks – it is shocking to see anti-Jewish violence on the streets of Europe again,” he said.
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the “anti-Arab chants” and the “attack on the Palestinian flag” in Amsterdam.
In a statement marked X, the ministry says it has asked the Dutch government to investigate the incident and “protect Palestinians and Arabs” living in the Netherlands.
Five people who were hospitalized have been discharged.
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