AMSTERDAM: Dutch police arrested dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters in Amsterdam on Sunday after they defied a demonstration ban, put in place in the wake of clashes between Israeli football fans and groups of youths.
Earlier in the day, the Amsterdam District Court upheld a decision by the mayor to ban protests in the city, three days after it was rocked by violence between Maccabi Tel Aviv football fans and men on scooters in several areas of the city.
But hundreds of protesters nevertheless gathered in the city’s Dam square, holding up placards that said “We want our streets back” and chanting “Free Palestine”, an AFP correspondent saw.
Police in riot gear moved in on the protesters in the afternoon, shortly after the court upheld the ban on protests.
In attacks that sparked outrage around the world, Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters were briefly hospitalised after coming under assault following a match with the local Ajax team on Thursday evening.
The clashes came amid a rise in anti-Semitism globally since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
“The mayor has rightly decided that there will be a ban on demonstrating in the city this weekend,” the court announced on X.
It therefore “rejected the request” by protests to hold their demonstration.
Dutch activist Frank van der Linde applied for an urgent permit to demonstrate on the city’s famous Dam Square, despite a temporary ban on protests announced by mayor Femke Halsema on Friday.
Van der Linde wanted to protest on the Dam against the “genocide in Gaza, but also because our right to protest has been taken away,” Dutch national news agency ANP quoted him as saying.
Friday’s emergency measures also included heightened police protection and wearing of face masks, and will be in place until Monday morning.
But on Sunday afternoon dozens of demonstrators started gathering at the square in the city’s centre, despite a heavy police presence.
The protesters, who were peaceful, chanted slogans and carried placards including one that read: “We can fight anti-Semitism and genocidal Zionism at the same time.”
Tensions building
Police said tensions already built ahead of a match between Ajax and Tel Aviv Maccabi at the Johann Cruyff Arena on Thursday.
Maccabi fans burned a Palestinian flag on the Dam central square, and vandalised a taxi, Amsterdam police chief Peter Holla said.
The Europa League game Thursday finished largely in a peaceful atmosphere, praised by the Ajax club.
But sporadic incidents beforehand were linked to both Maccabi supporters, who were allegedly chanting anti-Palestinian slogans, and opposing groups of youths.
After the match, groups of men on scooters engaged in “hit-and-run” attacks on Maccabi fans in areas of the city.
Police said the attackers were apparently mobilised by calls on social media to target Jewish people.
Halsema described groups targeting fans of the Israeli club, beating and kicking them.
“This is an outburst of anti-Semitism that I hope to never see again,” Halsema said, adding that she was “ashamed” by the violence.
At least 63 people have been arrested so far, but only before and during the match. Four people remained in custody, prosecutors said.
Police have launched a massive investigation and more arrests were expected.
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