Maccabi <span>Tel Aviv</span> supporters gather at Dam Square in Amsterdam before the UEFA Europa League match [Jeroen Jumelet/EPA]
ALJAZEERA | Published November 8, 2024
Israeli football fans have clashed with apparent pro-Palestinian protesters before and after a Europa League football match between their team Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax in Amsterdam.
The clashes took place outside the Johan Cruyff Arena on Thursday night, the city’s main arena and Ajax Amsterdam’s home stadium, as well as in other areas. Ajax won the match 5-0 after leading 3-0 at halftime.
Reporting from Amsterdam, Al Jazeera’s Step Vaessen said the clashes were the result of a buildup in tensions over a few days.
“Hundreds of supporters of Maccabi Tel Aviv came to Amsterdam, held a very vocal rally in the main square before the incident, waving Israeli flags, and also took down a Palestinian flag,” she said.
On Thursday, police had said on social media that they were being particularly vigilant in the wake of politically charged incidents, including the tearing down of a Palestinian flag from a building.
READ FULL ARTICLE
SOURCE: www.aljazeera.com
RELATED: Israeli soccer fans attacked in Amsterdam, in what Dutch authorities call antisemitic incidents
Fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv stage a pro-Israel demonstration at the Dam Square in Amsterdam on November 07.
CNN | Published November 8, 2024
Israeli soccer fans were beaten and injured in violent clashes in Amsterdam overnight, which the Dutch government condemned Friday as antisemitic attacks on Israeli citizens.
Dutch police said they had launched a major investigation into multiple violent incidents following the Europa League soccer game Thursday night between Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv and Dutch side Ajax.
Police said that so far, “five people have been taken to the hospital and 62 individuals have been arrested.”
Dutch police said they had launched a major investigation into multiple incidents following the Europa League soccer game Thursday night between Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv and Dutch side Ajax.
Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema said criminals on scooters searched the city in search of Maccabi supporters in “hit-and-run” attacks. “This is a terrible moment for our city. … I am very ashamed of the behavior that was shown last night,” she said in a Friday news conference.
Amsterdam authorities said Friday morning that five injured Israeli soccer fans have since been released from the hospital, and 20 to 30 other people were lightly injured. In total, 63 individuals were arrested and 10 remain in custody, police said.
Tensions had been rising in the lead up to Thursday night’s match with multiple social media videos showing Maccabi fans chanting anti-Arab slurs, praising Israeli military attacks in Gaza and yelling “f**k the Arabs.” Other videos apparently filmed in Amsterdam show men ripping Palestinian flags off buildings. It is unclear when those videos were filmed.
READ FULL ARTICLE
SOURCE: www.cnn.com
Be the first to comment