Amsterdam braces for potential of more violence after week of unrest

A senior police officer warned Tuesday of calls for more rioting in Amsterdam, after dozens of people armed with sticks and firecrackers set a tram on fire Monday night as the city faces tensions following violence last week targeting fans of an Israeli soccer club.

Olivier Dutilh, of the Amsterdam police force, told a court hearing that “we have signals that there are calls for similar” unrest in the west of the city.

Police said the fire Monday was quickly extinguished and riot officers cleared the square. Images online showed people damaging property and setting off firecrackers. A police vehicle was later burned out in a nearby street and police said they suspect arson.

Police said it wasn’t clear who started the unrest and whether it was related to what happened last week. Some rioters could be heard on video shared on social media using slurs against Jewish people.

Police said they detained three suspects and appealed for witnesses, including of the assault of a cyclist who was beaten up as he rode past the unrest.

Police noted the tense atmosphere since five people were treated in the hospital and dozens detained Thursday following a Maccabi Tel Aviv-Ajax match. Youths on scooters and on foot went in search of Israeli fans, punching and kicking them and then fleeing to evade police, according to Amsterdam’s mayor.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators were banned by local authorities from gathering outside the stadium. Before the match, Maccabi fans also tore a Palestinian flag off a building in Amsterdam and chanted anti-Arab slogans on their way to the stadium. There were also reports of Maccabi fans starting fights.

Dutch police announced five new arrests Monday in their investigation into that earlier violence. The suspects are men between the ages of 18 and 37, and are from Amsterdam or surrounding cities. Four are still in custody, while the fifth has been released but remains a suspect.

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Earlier, police said that four other men who had been arrested last week would remain in custody while the investigation continues. Two of those 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 over 170 witnesses and have taken forensics evidence from dozens. Prime Minister Dick Schoof said they were also examining videos posted to social media.

Schoof was meeting with community leaders Tuesday afternoon to discuss antisemitism.

Reports of antisemitic speech, vandalism and violence have been on the rise in Europe since the start of the war in Gaza, and tensions mounted in Amsterdam before Thursday night’s match.

The mayor has banned all demonstrations in the city and declared several parts of Amsterdam risk zones where police can stop and check anyone. Dozens were detained on Sunday for taking part in a pro-Palestinian demonstration in central Amsterdam that had been outlawed.

A small demonstration was ended by police Tuesday outside Amsterdam City Hall during a debate about the unrest, Dutch broadcaster NOS reported.