Police Secure Pro-Palestinian Protesters In Amsterdam

UNSPLASH/Spenser H ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - Police have detained pro-Palestinian protesters protesting in downtown Amsterdam for violating the ban on demonstrations imposed after clashes after a soccer match between Ajax and Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Dozens of protesters, some of whom carried Palestinian flags, shouted "Amsterdam said no to genocide" and "Free Palestine".

Police in riot gear surrounded the group and put them on the bus.

Police have detained or dispersed hundreds of demonstrators since last week's clashes based on emergency measures imposed until Thursday.

We say: Free Palestine. Stop killing innocent people. Kill children," said demonstrator Max van den Berg, 32, who called for the Netherlands to stop its support for Israel.

Previously, the Amsterdam police department said Maccabi fans attacked taxis and burned Palestinian flags and were chased and beaten by anti-Israeli gangs.

Five people were treated for injuries and allowed to return home from the hospital. Police escorted hundreds of Maccabi fans to their hotels.

Israeli and Dutch politicians denounced the attack as an antisemite attack and recalled the persecution of Jews during the Second World War.

Pro-Palestinian groups responded by saying they responded to Maccabi's supporters' attacks and anti-Arab provocative chants.

Four of the 62 suspects detained during the clashes, including 10 Israelis, are still being held. Police are still looking for suspects.

The Netherlands has experienced an increase in antisemitism incidents since the Gaza war began in October last year.

Less than 1 percent of Amsterdam's population is Jewish after the Holocaust, while about 15 percent are Muslims, most of whom are second and first-generation immigrants from North Africa and the Middle East.