Following the Europa League match between Dutch club Ajax Amsterdam and Maccabi Tel Aviv, violent clashes broke out between pro-Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli supporters. According to police reports, unrest occurred at several locations in the center of the Dutch capital, although it remains unclear which side initially sparked the violence. A total of 57 people were temporarily arrested Thursday evening; police did not initially specify whether football fans were among those arrested. Ajax won the match convincingly with a score of 5-0.
According to Amsterdam television station AT5, protesters threw chairs at Maccabi fans. Riot police had to protect the Israelis and escort them to their hotels.
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Earlier in the afternoon, clashes also took place between Israeli fans and security forces in the city center, leading to around ten arrests of Israeli fans for public disorder and illegal possession of firecrackers.
Before the match, isolated incidents had already occurred near the stadium in the south-east of the city, where around 200 protesters attempted to access the site. Municipal authorities had previously banned a demonstration directly in front of the Johan Cruijff Arena, designating another location nearby. However, the police managed to keep the demonstrators away from the stadium.
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