Dutch police officers observed a small pro-Palestinian demonstration on Dam Square in Amsterdam on November 9, 2024, as people gathered. — AFP

The recent attacks on Israeli football supporters in Amsterdam followed escalating tensions between the fans and pro-Palestinian activists in the city, according to a timeline of events. Mayor Femke Halsema stated that supporters of the Israeli soccer team Maccabi Tel Aviv were assaulted by groups of thugs in the early hours of Friday after a match with Amsterdam's Ajax. Police reported that among dozens of Israeli supporters who were chased and attacked, five required hospital treatment. A total of 63 suspects were arrested, and authorities promised a thorough investigation, drawing condemnation from politicians both within the Netherlands and internationally.

Tensions began to rise on Wednesday when some of the 3,000 visiting Maccabi supporters had minor disputes with locals, including taxi drivers and Ajax supporters in the city center, according to police. A police report mentioned that groups of Maccabi supporters burned a Palestinian flag on Dam Square, removed another from a nearby building, and vandalized a taxi. Following a social media call, angry Muslim taxi drivers gathered outside a casino where 400 Maccabi supporters were present, leading to skirmishes that required police intervention.

Dutch media reported that social media videos from Wednesday showed a Muslim taxi driver being beaten and youths shouting antisemitic slurs at a Maccabi supporter who was pushed into a canal. However, Reuters could not verify these accounts. On the day of the game, Maccabi supporters were filmed chanting anti-Arab slogans in front of the National Monument on Amsterdam's central Dam Square in videos verified by Reuters.

Pro-Palestinian groups in the Netherlands planned a demonstration outside the stadium during the game, arguing that the match should have been canceled due to Israel's war in Gaza, which has resulted in over 43,000 Palestinian deaths. However, Dutch authorities allowed the match to proceed, stating that the relationship between the two teams' supporters, typically a source of football violence, is generally amicable, according to Mayor Halsema.

Considering a confrontation between protesters and football supporters as the biggest security threat, the mayor relocated the demonstration to a remote location. Ajax's most hardcore supporters, known as the F-Side, emphasized that politics and football should remain separate and warned they would intervene if the demonstration proceeded at the stadium. Ajax has strong Jewish associations, with fans often carrying Star of David flags to matches, and also has many Muslim supporters.

Riot police at the stadium managed to keep opposing groups apart, and few incidents were reported when the match ended around 1 p.m. However, security collapsed in the city center around midnight. Calls to target returning Maccabi supporters circulated on Dutch messaging groups, resulting in what Mayor Halsema described as 'antisemitic hit and run assaults'. Police, accustomed to dispersing football mobs, struggled to stop smaller, highly mobile groups of attackers with no clear club allegiance.

Police gathered around 200 Maccabi fans on Dam Square to protect and escort them back to their hotels. However, many others were assaulted elsewhere in the city, with perpetrators quickly fleeing on motor scooters. Social media videos verified by Reuters showed groups attacking Israelis, kicking victims after they had fallen, throwing fireworks, and shouting, 'That's Palestine. That's Gaza...now you know how it feels.'

Dutch news site Bender published video of a large group of Maccabi supporters arming themselves with sticks, pipes, and rocks, clashing with opponents twice as they marched into the city after the match. Antisemitic incidents have surged in the Netherlands since Israel launched its assault on Gaza following Hamas's attacks on Israel in October 2023. Many Dutch Jewish organizations and schools have reported threats and hate mail.

Less than one percent of Amsterdam's population is Jewish following the Holocaust, while around 15 percent is Muslim, mostly second and first-generation immigrants from North Africa and the Middle East. The conservative Dutch government has pledged to implement Europe's strictest measures to limit immigration and reject asylum-seekers.

Of the 63 people detained early on Friday, most were later released pending charges. Amsterdam banned demonstrations through the weekend and granted police emergency stop-and-search powers.

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