A tram was set on fire in Amsterdam by a crowd of people armed with sticks and fireworks, police said, amid tensions in the city after violence last week against fans of an Israeli football team.
According to police, the fire was quickly extinguished and riot police officers cleared the square.
The internet showed property being damaged and people setting off fireworks. It was reported that they were chants of “cancer Jews.”
Police said it is unclear whether Monday’s fire was related to incidents last week or who caused the fire.
They said there had been a tense atmosphere since five people were taken to hospital after Ajax’s match against Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv on Thursday, where dozens of people were detained.
Young people on scooters and on foot sought out Israeli fans, punched and kicked them and then fled to avoid police, Amsterdam’s mayor said.
The tram in Amsterdam was damaged after people armed with sticks and fireworks set it on fire
Dutch police officers arrest a man after riots in Amsterdam as violence continues in the city
Windows of the tram in Amsterdam were smashed due to the violence, the police say it is unclear who started the fire
Dutch police announced five new arrests on Monday as the investigation into that violence continues.
The suspects are men aged 18 to 37 from Amsterdam and surrounding cities.
Four of them remain in custody and a fifth has been released but remains a suspect.
Police said four other men arrested last week would remain in custody as investigations continue.
Two of those men are minors, a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old from Amsterdam.
The other two men are from Amsterdam and a nearby city.
Police said they have identified more than 170 witnesses and collected forensic evidence from dozens.
Prime Minister Dick Schoof said they were also investigating videos posted on social media.
Reports of anti-Semitic speech, vandalism and violence have been on the rise in Europe since the start of the war in Gaza, and tensions rose in Amsterdam ahead of Thursday night’s match.
Police officers in riot gear patrol the streets of Amsterdam after more violence
A man stands next to the tram, the windows of which were smashed during the riots
Police in riot gear because the mayor of Amsterdam has banned all demonstrations in the city
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators were banned by local authorities from gathering outside the stadium.
Before the match, Maccabi fans also tore a Palestinian flag from a building in Amsterdam and chanted anti-Arab slogans on their way to the stadium.
There were also reports of Maccabi fans starting a fight.
The mayor has banned all demonstrations in the city and declared several parts of Amsterdam ‘risk zones’ where the police can arrest and check anyone.
Dozens were arrested on Sunday for participating in a banned pro-Palestinian demonstration in central Amsterdam.
Newly appointed Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar rushed to the Netherlands on Friday and offered Israel assistance in the police investigation.
He met with the Dutch prime minister on Saturday and said in a statement that the attacks and demands to show passports are “reminiscent of dark periods in history.”
Mr. Saar told reporters in Jerusalem on Monday that Israel considered the number of arrests following last week’s clashes in Amsterdam to be “very low.”
Protesters run with Palestinian flags ahead of the UEFA Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv at Anton de Komplein in Amsterdam, Netherlands, November 7, 2024.
Hours before the match, Maccabi Tel Aviv fans held a pro-Israel demonstration on the city’s Dam Square
Fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv organize a pro-Israel demonstration on Dam Square
“I was told by the mayor of Amsterdam that they have formed a special investigation team, but I can say that the number of arrests so far is very low,” Saar said.
The Dutch city’s police chief said “incidents on both sides” had taken place on Wednesday, 24 hours before the match.
“A Palestinian flag has been set on fire on Dam Square,” he added, referring to Amsterdam’s central square.
In scenes that showed the tensions, an unverified video on social media, which was reportedly filmed on Thursday, appeared to show some Maccabi fans chanting in Hebrew: “Let the IDF (army) win!” We’ll fuck the Arabs!’
The scenes in Amsterdam were enough to sow fear in other European countries.
Paris police said on Sunday that 4,000 officers and 1,600 stadium staff will be deployed to a football match between France and Israel to ensure security in and around the stadium and on public transport.
France and Israel will play a UEFA Nations League match on Thursday that French President Emmanuel Macron will attend, the Elysee presidential palace said.
Israel’s National Security Council warned citizens abroad in a statement on Sunday to avoid sporting and cultural events, especially the match in Paris, and to be cautious about violent attacks “on the pretext of demonstrations.”