Israeli football fans, pro-Palestinians attacked in Amsterdam: What we know

EXPLAINER

Tensions successful nan superior of nan Netherlands had been brewing aft Maccabi shot fans took down a Palestine flag.

The Dutch superior of Amsterdam is nether strict information measures aft clashes erupted this week betwixt pro-Palestine supporters and fans of an Israeli shot nine earlier a UEFA Europa League match.

Tensions first escalated erstwhile Israeli shot fans reportedly took down a Palestinian emblem and chanted anti-Arab slogans – for illustration “F*** you Palestine” and “No children near successful Gaza”, according to videos verified by Reuters and eyewitnesses Al Jazeera said to connected nan ground – before their club’s lucifer pinch a Dutch team.

Here’s what we cognize astir nan clashes, and nan lead-up to nan violence.

What happened successful Amsterdam, and when?

• Tensions successful nan metropolis started building connected Wednesday erstwhile supporters of nan Israeli shot nine Maccabi Tel Aviv arrived successful Amsterdam. Their lucifer against Ajax, a Dutch shot club, was scheduled for nan adjacent day.
• Later connected Wednesday, Maccabi fans burned a Palestinian emblem successful nan cardinal Dam Square and vandalised a taxi, Amsterdam’s Police Chief Peter Holla told a news convention connected Friday. A video verified by Reuters showed Maccabi fans mounting disconnected flares and chanting, “Ole, ole, fto nan [Israeli army] win, and F*** nan Arabs”.
• Israeli fans besides attacked houses displaying Palestinian flags, Jazie Veldhuyzen, a personnel of nan Amsterdam City Council, told Al Jazeera.
• On Thursday evening, Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters were chanting anti-Arab slogans arsenic they marched towards nan shot stadium, video footage showed. Police escorted nan fans to nan match, and section authorities banned pro-Palestinian demonstrators from gathering extracurricular nan stadium. A pro-Palestinian march had been organised adjacent astatine Anton de Komplein Square.
• Ajax won nan UEFA Europa League lucifer against Maccabi 5-0. The crippled proceeded smoothly.
• Following nan match, groups connected scooters targeted nan Maccabi supporters arsenic they made their measurement to nan metropolis centre.
• Riot constabulary intervened. Some fans were escorted to their hotels by autobus pinch constabulary escorts. An further 600 constabulary officers were deployed.
• Sixty-two individuals were detained successful relationship pinch nan attacks arsenic constabulary officers tried to power nan situation. Ten remained successful custody connected Friday, nan city’s main nationalist prosecutor, Rene de Beukelaer, told reporters astatine a news convention connected Friday. On Saturday, Amsterdam prosecutors said 10 group are suspected of crimes including vandalism, while 40 suspects person been fixed fines for disturbing nationalist order.
• Further arrests could beryllium made arsenic Amsterdam constabulary move done information camera footage, societal media posts, and different grounds to place those progressive successful nan clashes.

Where did it happen?

The clashes erupted successful Amsterdam’s metropolis centre, astir Dam Square and Amsterdam Central Station.

Police said that nan fans near nan stadium calmly and without clashes.

How person authorities responded?

• Amsterdam’s Mayor Femke Halsema, who had called nan attacks “anti-Semitic hit-and-run squads”, imposed a impermanent three-day prohibition connected demonstrations, effective from Friday to Sunday.
• Emergency measures, including stop-and-search powers and a prohibition connected look coverings, person besides been imposed.
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed nan country’s spy agency, Mossad, to create a scheme to forestall unit astatine world events, he announced successful a video statement. “I person instructed nan caput of nan Mossad [David Barnea] and different officials to hole our courses of action, our alert strategy and our organisation for a caller situation,” Netanyahu stated.
• The Israeli authorities initially ordered 2 planes to beryllium sent to Amsterdam to bring fans home, but later, Netanyahu’s agency announced it would put commercialized flights instead.
• Many fans were escorted by police-protected buses to Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport.
• Maccabi advised its supporters to stay successful hotels and debar wearing aliases displaying visible Jewish symbols until departure. UEFA, European football’s governing body, said it would analyse nan incident and reappraisal information protocols for early matches.

Was anyone hurt?

• Five individuals were hospitalised and released connected Friday, Amsterdam constabulary confirmed, though they provided nary further accusation astir whether nan injured were Dutch aliases Israeli.
• An further 20 to 30 group suffered insignificant injuries. Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said 10 Israelis were injured.
• Mayor Halsema said Maccabi Tel Aviv fans had been “attacked, abused and pelted pinch fireworks” astir nan city.
• At slightest 1 instrumentality reported injuries from a stone thrown astatine his head.
• Additionally, Amsterdam constabulary spokesperson Sara Tillart said it was excessively early successful their investigation to find whether immoderate group different than shot fans were targeted.

What’s nan latest connected nan ground?

Order successful Amsterdam had been restored by astir 3am section clip (02:00 GMT)  connected Friday, said Police Chief Holla. Heightened information measures stay successful place, peculiarly astir Jewish buildings and monuments.

What world guidance has location been?

• Israel’s adjacent state United States President Biden condemned nan attacks arsenic “despicable” and said they “echo acheronian moments successful history erstwhile Jews were persecuted”.
• United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed daze astir nan events, a UN spokesperson said.
• Meanwhile, nan UN typical rapporteur connected nan occupied Palestinian territory, Francesca Albanese, criticised Western media outlets for minimising nan actions of nan Israeli fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv up of nan clashes.
• Dima Said from nan Palestine Football Association said nan incident’s framing arsenic anti-Semitic was unfortunate. “It was very unfortunate for america arsenic Palestinians, to support framing this incident [as] anti-Semitic, alternatively of addressing nan main question, which is, why are Israeli clubs for illustration Maccabi Tel Aviv permitted to compete connected world stages while Israel is committing acts of genocide, business and dispossession of Palestinians?” she said to Al Jazeera, speaking from Ramallah successful nan occupied West Bank.

What’s next?

The past fewer days of unit person raised information concerns astir early matches involving Israeli teams successful Europe. Maccabi Tel Aviv’s adjacent scheduled distant crippled successful nan Europa League is against nan Turkish nine Besiktas. Turkish authorities person already decided that nan lucifer will not beryllium played successful Istanbul and are discussing an replacement neutral venue.

Meanwhile, France’s Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau confirmed that nan Israeli nationalist shot team’s lucifer successful Paris for nan Nations League would proceed arsenic scheduled connected November 14.

Source

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Al Jazeera and news agencies