CNN –
Amsterdam police are bracing for another night of unrest on Tuesday as the Dutch capital grapples with anti-Semitic violence that began with attacks on visiting Israeli soccer fans last week.
The Dutch capital underwent emergency measures last Friday, following the clashes that broke out after the football match on Thursday evening between the Israeli Maccabi Tel Aviv and the Dutch Ajax.
Most protests have been banned and police presence has been increased across the city, but violence has not abated.
Amsterdam Police Chief Olivier Dothele said his forces were preparing for another turbulent night on Tuesday. “There are calls for similar situations in Amsterdam West this evening. It is happening now. There are calls: women and children stay at home. This worries us.”
Clashes broke out just after 7pm on Monday in west Amsterdam, with a tram set on fire, windows smashed and stones thrown at police officers.
Videos posted on social media show people shouted anti-Semitic insults as fireworks were lit inside the tram, smashing a window and causing the car to catch fire. Police said three people were arrested. One member of the group was injured by the fireworks and was treated at the scene.
Later on Monday, a passing cyclist was pulled from his bike and attacked, receiving severe blows to the head, police said, adding that the suspect was detained while other rioters threw rocks at officers.
Police said the area was largely calm by 11 p.m., although a police bus near the scene caught fire around 3:30 a.m.
Violence broke out on Monday after more than 50 people were arrested at a banned pro-Palestinian demonstration in central Amsterdam on Sunday.
Emergency measures will remain in place until at least Thursday. Aside from the ban on protests, the city has also banned people from wearing face coverings when they are “accompanied by potential disturbances to public order.”
The local government in Amsterdam said a Gaza demonstration scheduled for Tuesday had been granted an exception to the protest ban, even though it would take place in a park far from the city center.
More security was provided to Jewish institutions in the city.
The attacks sparked anger across the Netherlands. On Tuesday, the Amsterdam City Council held an emergency discussion on the violence, while the Dutch Parliament is scheduled to discuss it on Wednesday, discussing its request by far-right politician Geert Wilders.
The anti-Islam populist Wilders took the opportunity to condemn the violence as a product of what he called the Netherlands’ “wide open borders” policy.
Tensions rose in the lead-up to Thursday night’s match, with several videos on social media showing Maccabi fans chanting anti-Arab insults, praising Israeli military attacks in Gaza and shouting “fuck the Arabs.”
The day before the match, Maccabi fans tore down flags and vandalized a taxi, according to Amsterdam police chief Peter Holla. He added that the Palestinian flag was burned.
Police said the rioters moved in small groups on foot, motorcycles and cars, searched the city and targeted Maccabi supporters in “hit-and-run” attacks. Several people were injured, five of whom are receiving treatment in hospitals.
Hola continued that on the same evening, a call for taxi drivers to mobilize appeared online, with many of them heading to a casino where 400 Maccabi supporters were present. He added that police escorted the Israeli fans out of the casino safely, but there was still some unrest around the casino.
In a public message summarizing the events of the past week, Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema said Monday that the violence arose “from a toxic mix of anti-Semitism, hooliganism and anger over the conflicts in Palestine, Israel and other countries in the Middle East.” “.
She added that in light of the violence, the city and police considered canceling Thursday’s game, but found no legal basis for doing so. She added that the police believe that canceling the match may make the situation out of control, given the large number of fans already in the city.
Halsema also said that she was initially unable to contact the Dutch Prime Minister as the violence broke out but that she had been in contact with the Israeli ambassador to the Netherlands.
“Aware of the potential international repercussions, the mayor attempted to contact the Prime Minister at 03:00 (am). Unable to reach him, she contacted the Minister of Justice and Security and informed him of the developments. They agreed that the minister would inform the prime minister.”
Halsema described Thursday’s violence as an “explosion of anti-Semitism,” and pointed to “telegram groups where people talked about going after Jews.”
“This is very shocking, very reprehensible, and I cannot get over it yet. It is a shame,” she said at a press conference in Amsterdam City Hall last Friday.
Police said 62 people, including 10 Israeli citizens, were arrested in connection with Thursday’s violence. The force said on Monday it had arrested six more since then after identifying more suspects.
Four people — two minors, ages 16 and 17, and two men, ages 19 and 26 — remained in detention as of Tuesday, according to prosecutors.
