Amsterdam authorities have imposed a three-day ban on demonstrations following overnight attacks on Israeli soccer fans across the city. Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema called the attackers “anti-Semitic rapid response units” and said fans of Tel Aviv’s Maccabi club were “attacked, insulted and pelted with fireworks.” At least five people were hospitalized with injuries.
Halsema noted that the city’s police were not prepared for this type of riot because the Ajax match, traditionally associated with the Jewish community, was not assessed as a high-risk event. To prevent further violence, the city council banned all demonstrations for the rest of the weekend and gave police the power to stop and search suspicious people on the streets.
Security measures have been tightened as a ceremony is planned at a Jewish monument in Amsterdam on Saturday. The day before, hundreds of people gathered for an event commemorating the anniversary of Kristallnacht, the pogrom carried out by the Nazis in Germany against the Jewish population from November 9 to 10, 1938.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and Dutch Minister of Justice and Public Security David van Wiel announced a joint investigation into the attacks on Israeli fans in Amsterdam. During a meeting at the beginning of Saar’s visit to the Netherlands, the parties discussed measures to identify and punish those responsible, and agreed to cooperate in collecting testimony and preserving evidence.
The Dutch minister apologized for the incidents that occurred the day before and admitted that he was “ashamed of what happened.” In response, Saar insisted that Dutch authorities complete their investigation and bring the attackers to a fair trial.
Israel offered to send its specialists to help collect testimonies from victims and preserve material evidence. David van Wiel accepted this offer, highlighting the importance of cooperation for an objective investigation.
Kursor previously wrote that the results of a preliminary investigation into the anti-Semitic pogrom in Amsterdam had become known.
