On Tuesday, Dutch police detained three individuals after a police vehicle was set on fire and a bus was vandalized in Amsterdam. This incident followed a series of violent altercations between Israeli soccer fans and the Arab community in the city.

Authorities have launched an investigation following the torching of a police vehicle at a station and reports of stones being thrown at a public bus on Monday evening.

A cyclist was also violently attacked, as stated by the police. When officers attempted to arrest a suspect at the confrontation site, they were met with stones being thrown at them.

Additionally, several individuals were arrested for protesting outside city hall, flouting a temporary ban on demonstrations that lasted for a week due to previous violence.

Violence surged on the streets of Amsterdam in the lead-up to the soccer match between the Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax.

Following the burning of a Palestinian flag and chanting of discriminatory slogans by Maccabi supporters, violence broke out in downtown Amsterdam, with Israelis targeted in dangerous hit-and-run incidents—some were even halted and forced to show their passports.

Leaders around the world condemned the assaults as antisemitic, drawing parallels to historical instances of anti-Jewish violence from the 1930s and 1940s.

“The Antisemitic violence against Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam is deplorable and recalls dark times in history when Jews were attacked,” President Biden tweeted on Friday.

Supporters of Palestine noted that the derogatory chants from Maccabi fans regarding deceased children in Gaza exacerbated tensions with Amsterdam’s 13% Muslim demographic.

On Monday, four individuals arrested during the initial riots were brought before an Amsterdam court. Two minors—aged 16 and 17—face charges for launching fireworks at police and allegedly trying to severely injure a person. A 19-year-old Dutch male is accused of throwing stones at a bus, while a 26-year-old local man was filmed hitting an older individual with a belt, based on police reports.

What Instigated the Unrest?

Police revealed that the unrest commenced on Wednesday night before the match when Maccabi supporters took down and burned a Palestinian flag while damaging a taxi.

Reports indicated that a retaliatory call circulated in a group chat among taxi drivers, with unconfirmed screenshots allegedly showing a message urging a regrouping post-match for “part 2 of the Jew hunt.”

A cluster of taxi drivers assembled at the Holland Casino, where about 400 Maccabi supporters congregated, according to Amsterdam Police Chief Peter Holla.

The New York Times disclosed that a guard at the casino was dismissed for alerting others about the arrival of Maccabi fans via a messaging platform.

Various social media clips reportedly depicted Maccabi fans assaulting a Muslim taxi driver and another fan being shoved into a canal.

Authorities successfully escorted Maccabi supporters out of the casino before larger clashes could take place, restoring order by around 3:30 a.m., as per Holla.

However, the tranquility was short-lived.

The following afternoon, clashes erupted in Dam Square where many Maccabi fans had gathered, leading to the explosion of fireworks around 1 p.m., as stated by Holla.

Videos shared online depicted Maccabi fans shouting offensive and discriminatory slogans directed at Arabs and Palestinians.

In another unconfirmed video, supporters were seen celebrating at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, completing a chant that suggested there are “no schools in Gaza” due to the absence of “children.”

During a soccer match, tensions escalated as a scheduled pro-Palestinian demonstration took place in Dam Square. Protesters called for the game to be canceled in response to Israel’s actions in the Gaza conflict.

After Ajax secured a 5-0 win, the atmosphere in downtown Amsterdam grew increasingly volatile. Police described the incidents as “hit and runs.”

Social media was rife with videos showing attacks directed at Israelis. A video verified by Reuters depicted Israelis being pulled down and assaulted while one individual shouted, “That’s Palestine. That’s Gaza now you know how it feels.”

There were reports of people being forcibly removed from their taxis and others being stopped to have their passports checked for Israeli identification. These occurrences persisted into Saturday night, according to police chief Olivier Dutilh.

Five injured individuals spent the night in the hospital but were discharged by Friday morning.

Amid the unrest, reports emerged of missing persons, alongside rumors circulating on social media about Israeli “hostages.” By Friday, police confirmed that all missing individuals had been located.

What was the police response?

As the violence unfolded, Amsterdam imposed a city-wide prohibition on demonstrations and allowed police to conduct preemptive searches through Thursday.

Despite the ban, pro-Palestinian protesters regrouped in Dam Square on Sunday, chanting slogans like “Free Palestine” and “Amsterdam says no to genocide.” Police reported dispersing about 340 individuals and arresting over 50 protestors.

Most arrested during the clashes and the Sunday protest were subsequently released, but four individuals, including a minor, remain in custody facing violence-related charges. Amsterdam prosecutors have also filed public disturbance charges against 40 individuals and vandalism charges against another 10.

Meanwhile, Paris is preparing for potential violence around a soccer match between Israel and France scheduled for Thursday, with police set to deploy 2,500 officers near the Stade de France and an additional 1,500 officers across the city and public transit, according to Paris police chief Laurent Nuñez.

How did Israel react?

The unrest prompted an immediate response from the Israeli government. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arranged flights to bring approximately 2,000 Maccabi supporters back to Israel.

In a conversation with Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, he insisted that the rioters be dealt with sternly and urged for the protection of the Jewish community in the Netherlands.

Netanyahu later cautioned Israelis overseas to avoid attending sports and cultural events, citing intelligence about possible threats to Jewish individuals in cities in the Netherlands, the U.K., France, Belgium, and beyond.

Global leaders denounce attacks as ‘antisemitic’

The riots drew widespread condemnation from international leaders, who characterized them as antisemitic and likened them to historical pogroms against Jews during the Holocaust.

“We failed the Jewish community of the Netherlands during World War II, and last night we failed again,” said Dutch King Willem-Alexander in a message to Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

Schoof expressed his “shame” over the incidents occurring in the Netherlands, stating, “I feel ashamed about what happened in the Netherlands. It has been a dreadful night,” while attending a European Union summit in Budapest.

“This is a very dark moment for the city, for which I am deeply ashamed,” commented Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema on Friday.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar visited Amsterdam to meet with Dutch Justice Minister David van Weel and Geert Wilders, a far-right anti-Muslim leader from the largest party in the Dutch government.

“Arrest and deport the multicultural scum that attacked Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters in our streets,” Wilders remarked on X. “Ashamed that this can happen in The Netherlands.”

Some Maccabi fans associated with racist chants

Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters have a history of allegations related to racism and violent behavior. The National Israel Fund reported that this team had the second highest incidents of racist chants in its games for the 2022 to 2023 season.

Moreover, Maccabi fans were involved in an attack on an individual bearing a Palestinian flag during a match in Athens against Olympiacos, a Greek team.