Over 100 pro-Palestine demonstrators arrested for defying protest ban in the Netherlands

AMSTERDAM: More than 100 pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested by Dutch police in Amsterdam after they defied a demonstration ban put in place in the wake of clashes between Israeli football fans and people in the city, Al Jazeera reported on Monday.

On Sunday, the Amsterdam District Court upheld a decision by the mayor to ban protests in the Dutch capital, three days after it was rocked by violence between Maccabi Tel Aviv, an Israeli football club, fans and residents in several areas.

As per AlJazeera, hundreds of protestors went against the prohibition to gather in Amsterdam’s Dam Square on Sunday, demanding an end to Israel’s war on Gaza and raising various slogans including “Free Palestine”. Police moved in on the protesters in the afternoon, following the court’s decision to uphold the protest ban.

So, we are not crazy, Amsterdam police confirms that we were right

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Reporting from Amsterdam, Al Jazeera’s Step Vaessen said that even tourists in Dam Square were shocked by an aggressive police response that included manhandling peaceful protesters. “I saw tourists from India who were wearing the keffiyeh and were also being searched. They looked intimidated by the police and had no idea what was going on”, she said.

On Sunday afternoon, the municipality, along with Amsterdam police and the public prosecutor’s office, extended the initial three-day ban on demonstrations until Thursday morning. A ban was imposed on Friday after street fights involving Israeli football supporters before and after a match on Thursday between visiting Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax Amsterdam, AlJazeera reported.

This came after the fans of Israeli football club Maccabi Tel Aviv were attacked in the streets of Amsterdam after they lost to Amsterdam’s team Ajax. The attackers were allegedly shouting slogans of “free Palestine” and were carrying Palestinian flags.

Police informed that the tensions had already built ahead of the match as Maccabi fans burned a Palestinian flag on the Dam central square and vandalised a taxi, Amsterdam police chief Peter Holla said. The Europa League game finished largely in a peaceful atmosphere, praised by the Ajax club.

Earlier, reacting to the attack on Israeli fans, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel will not accept any harm to Jews anywhere in the world.

Last Friday (local time), US President Joe Biden also condemned attacks on Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam Friday, calling the incident “despicable and echo dark moments in history when Jews were persecuted”. Biden said he has been in touch with Israeli and Dutch officials and that he appreciates “Dutch authorities’ commitment to holding the perpetrators accountable.”

In a post on X, Biden said, “The Antisemitic attacks on Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam are despicable and echo dark moments in history when Jews were persecuted. We’ve been in touch with Israeli and Dutch officials and appreciate Dutch authorities’ commitment to holding the perpetrators accountable. We must relentlessly fight antisemitism, wherever it emerges”. (ANI)