Amsterdam responds to antisemitic attacks on soccer fans with citywide protest ban

Amsterdam has issued a three-day ban on protests starting November 8 after Israeli soccer fans from Maccabi Tel Aviv faced violent assaults by what Mayor Femke Halsema described as "antisemitic hit-and-run squads."

In response to the disturbances, Israel dispatched planes to evacuate fans from the Netherlands, Caliber.Az reports citing foreign media sources.

According to Mayor Halsema, Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters were "attacked, abused, and pelted with fireworks" throughout Amsterdam. Riot police intervened to protect the fans and escort them to hotels, and five individuals required hospital treatment. Videos circulating on social media depicted riot police clashing with aggressors, some of whom were shouting anti-Israeli slurs, while Maccabi Tel Aviv fans were also filmed chanting anti-Arab slogans before Thursday's match.

"We saw a lot of demonstrations, a lot of people running. It was really, really terrifying," said Joni Pogrebetsy, an Israeli soccer supporter who had travelled to Amsterdam for the event.

The Netherlands has seen a surge in antisemitic incidents following Israel’s military action in Gaza, which was launched in retaliation for the October Hamas attacks that killed 1,200 Israelis and led to over 250 hostages. Jewish organizations and schools in the country have reported an increase in threats and hate mail.

Israel’s government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has taken immediate action by sending aircraft to bring fans home. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar also flew to Amsterdam for emergency meetings with Dutch officials and far-right leader Geert Wilders.

In reaction to the violence, Amsterdam authorities granted police stop-and-search powers and imposed a demonstration ban throughout the weekend, highlighting tensions fueled by the ongoing Gaza-Israel conflict. Health officials in Gaza report over 43,000 Palestinian deaths and millions displaced from Israel’s military campaign, which began following Hamas' devastating assault.

U.S. President Joe Biden condemned the attacks on the Israeli fans, calling them "despicable" and reminiscent of darker historical times when Jews were persecuted. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his shock over the violence in Amsterdam.

The Israeli embassy in The Hague denounced the incidents, releasing a statement on social media that described scenes of violence against Israeli citizens: "kicking, beating, even running over." The embassy remarked, "On the eve of Kristallnacht — when Jews in Nazi Germany faced brutal attacks — it is horrifying to witness antisemitic violence on the streets of Europe once again."

Amsterdam police reported the arrest of 62 suspects, with ten still in custody, after clashes broke out when pro-Palestinian protesters attempted to approach the Johan Cruyff Arena, despite a citywide protest ban. The violence erupted in the city centre after the Europa League match, which Ajax won 5-0.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog likened the violence to the brutality witnessed in the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and historical pogroms against European Jews. "We see with horror this morning the shocking images and videos that since October 7, we had hoped never to see again: an anti-Semitic pogrom currently taking place against Maccabi Tel Aviv fans and Israeli citizens in the heart of Amsterdam," Herzog wrote on X.

In contrast, senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri pointed to the ongoing violence in Gaza, arguing that the mass killings by Israeli forces and the lack of international intervention could spark such reactions. "This emphasizes that stopping the genocide in Gaza is an essential part of respecting and protecting human rights, as well as ensuring regional and global security and peace," Abu Zuhri said.

The conflict in Gaza has ignited widespread demonstrations in Europe and the United States, resulting in violence against both Jews and Arabs.

By Tamilla Hasanova