Protests in Amsterdam, Netherlands Banned for 3 Days

Amsterdam officials have banned protests for three days starting Friday, November 9, following violent attacks on supporters of the Tel Aviv football team "Maccabi" in the streets of the city. Israel has also sent planes to the Netherlands to bring the supporters back to the country. The mayor of Amsterdam stated that Maccabi supporters faced "attacks, harassment, and being targeted with fireworks," and riot police had to intervene to protect and escort them to their hotel. At least five individuals were treated in the hospital during these attacks. Videos circulating on social media show Dutch riot police attempting to restore calm while some assailants chant anti-Israeli slogans. One video confirmed by Reuters shows a group of men running near Amsterdam's central station, chasing and attacking others. Another verified video shows Maccabi supporters chanting slogans in support of the Israeli army and against Arabs. Since the Hamas militants' attack, a group supported by the Islamic Republic, on Israel on October 7 last year, anti-Semitic violence has increased in the Netherlands and several other countries, with many Jewish institutions and schools reporting threats and receiving hate mail. Following the violent attacks on Maccabi football supporters in Amsterdam, the Israeli Foreign Minister visited Amsterdam to meet with Dutch government officials and also Geert Wilders, the leader of the Dutch right-wing party. The city of Amsterdam has banned all protests until the end of the week and has granted police the authority to stop and conduct emergency searches. The attack on Israeli citizens in Amsterdam has prompted widespread reactions from leaders and officials around the world. U.S. President Joe Biden called it "despicable" and stated that the Amsterdam attacks "remind us of dark times in history when Jews faced persecution." A spokesperson for the United Nations stated that Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of the organization, was shocked by the violent attacks in Amsterdam. Several European leaders and EU officials have also condemned these attacks. Isaac Herzog, the President of Israel, was among the senior Israeli politicians who likened this violence to last year's Hamas attack on Israel and the attacks on European Jews during past genocides. According to Reuters, the mayor of Amsterdam stated that security services failed to mark the Tel Aviv team’s match against Ajax Amsterdam as a "high-risk" event, which is why the police were caught off guard. Following these attacks, security measures in the city have been intensified as a ceremony is set to take place on Saturday, November 10, at the Jewish memorial in remembrance of "Kristallnacht," the Nazi massacre of Jews in Germany between November 9 and 10, 1938. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte expressed that he was horrified by the anti-Semitic attacks on Israeli citizens and assured Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, during a phone call that "the criminals will be identified and prosecuted." Geert Wilders, a politician opposed to Muslims, wrote on social media "Muslim criminals" are to blame for this incident and called for their expulsion. The Israeli embassy in The Hague stated that those who carried out these actions were chanting anti-Israeli slogans and shared videos of beating and even running over Israeli citizens on social media. Police reported that 62 suspects were arrested after the match, and despite the ban on protests, pro-Palestinian demonstrators attempted to reach the "Johan Cruyff" stadium. According to this report, ten individuals remained in custody on Friday, November 9. The police indicated that there is a possibility of hostage-taking.