How did the Amsterdam attacks unfold?
With both Palestinian and Israeli governments demanding protection for their citizens, the Independent asks what sparked the violence that left five people in hospital and dozens injured
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Your support makes all the difference.Ahead of a football game between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv, violence erupted as football hooligans, fans, taxi drivers and pro-Palestinian activists clashed near the canals and tramlines of Amsterdam.
With both Palestinian and Israeli governments demanding protection for their citizens, The Independent investigates what sparked the violence that left five people in hospital and dozens injured.
Before the game
Prior to the match, Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema relocated a pro-Palestinian demonstration away from the Johan Cruyff Arena to reduce potential confrontations, though Israeli supporters reportedly continued to rally in Dam Square, sparking angry clashes.
Amsterdam’s police chief said Maccabi supporters attacked a taxi and set a Palestinian flag on fire the day before the match.
But Mayor Halsema said the actions were no excuse for what came later as violence erupted in the European city.
On match day
On match day over 200 Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters took to the streets of Amsterdam some were filmed tearing down Palestinian flags and others chanted anti-Palestinian slogans.
Police escorted them to the stadium.
In the Johan Cruyff Arena, just before kick-off Tel Aviv fans ignored a moment of silence honouring recent flood victims in Spain, triggering more hostilities inside the stadium.
During the match
On the streets the disorder escalated when one rioter was seen scaling a building to rip down a Palestinian flag. Taxi drivers seeking revenge attacked the group even using apps to track down victims, according to The Times.
The match ended in a heavy defeat for Maccabi Tel Aviv, with Ajax winning 5-0.
One of the Israeli rioters involved in the disorder was reportedly identified as a soldier in the IDF after attackers took his passport.
One video verified by Reuters showed a group of men running near Amsterdam central station, chasing and assaulting other men, as police sirens sounded.
Another appears to show a car mounting the pavement and appearing to run over one of the Israeli fans.
The aftermath
Britons leaving the stadium early were swept up in the violence.
Aaron, 33, told the BBC he was punched in the face for helping an injured Israeli fan.
“We got to one of the central areas and we saw mopeds turn up and some guys started beating an Israeli guy going back to his hotel,” he says, adding they were referring to his religion and stomping on his head.
“Shortly after, the same men that had attacked the Israeli came up to us right into our personal space, saying are you Jewish? We said no, we are British’.”
One of the men then punched him in the face.
“I was bleeding and have a black eye,” he says. “I’m OK but a bit shaken.”
His friend Jacob, added: “They were looking for Jews not just Israelis.”
The mayor said city police had been taken by surprise after security services failed to flag the match against Ajax, traditionally identified as a Jewish club, as high-risk.
She added that “anti-Semitic hit-and-run squads” had managed to evade a force of around 200 officers.
The mayor said men on scooters roamed the city attacking supporters, and that it brought to mind pogroms against Jewish people from recent European history.
Dutch police confirmed that more than 60 individuals were arrested in the aftermath of the violent confrontations.
Israeli officials escalated their response, with prime minister Netanyahu preparing “rescue planes” for the Israeli fans, though the mission was later cancelled.
Amsterdam banned demonstrations for three days from Friday after the overnight attacks on Israeli soccer supporters.
Efforts are underway to evacuate 2,751 Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from Amsterdam.
The Israeli airlines El Al and Arkia announced five flights to Amsterdam and Brussels.
The Israeli embassy in The Hague said mobs had chanted anti-Israel slogans and shared videos of their violence on social media, “kicking, beating, even running over Israeli citizens”.
“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,” it said.
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned “anti-Arab chants” and an “attack on the Palestinian Flag” in Amsterdam.
In a statement on X, the ministry says it has called on the Dutch government to investigate the incident and to “protect Palestinians and Arabs” living in the Netherlands.
The five hospitalised have since been discharged.
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