News Desk
TEL AVIV: Violence erupted in Amsterdam late Thursday following a match between Israeli soccer club Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax, with supporters of Maccabi Tel Aviv reportedly engaging in vandalism and violent acts. The clashes, which occurred both before and after the game, saw Maccabi fans tearing down Palestinian flags from private properties, chanting inflammatory slogans, and attacking bystanders.
Disturbing footage shared on social media depicts fans vandalising property, assaulting a local taxi driver, and confronting law enforcement officers. In one particularly shocking instance, a Palestinian flag was set on fire by the attackers. Prominent journalist Max Blumenthal condemned the actions, commenting that the videos circulating online showed Israeli soccer fans causing mayhem in Amsterdam, with instances of flag vandalism and assaults on police and civilians. Football journalist Leyla Hamed corroborated Blumenthal’s account, calling the incident a march of hooligans who went so far as to steal and burn Palestinian flags.
In response to the violence, Israeli officials condemned the attacks on their citizens, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referring to the events as “very violent” and announcing plans to dispatch rescue planes to assist those affected. Netanyahu also demanded swift action from Dutch authorities against the rioters.
