Anti-Israel protesters in Amsterdam set tram fire just days after targeted attacks against Jews
Dozens were arrested last week in the Dutch capital after Israelis were targeted and attacked
Protesters take part in a pro-Palestinian demonstration on Dam Square in Amsterdam on Nov. 10. The protest is taking place while an emergency ordinance and demonstration ban are in place in the city. Photo by Robin van Lonkhuijsen / ANP / AFP) / Netherlands OUT via Getty Images
By Louis Keene November 11, 2024
Anti-Israel protesters started a fire inside a tram car in Amsterdam on Monday and riot police were called to disperse them, days after traveling Israeli soccer fans were attacked in the Dutch capital in what some described as an antisemitic pogrom.
Video circulating on social media showed rioters throwing sticks and debris and hurling stones at a stopped tram car. The protesters appear to be yelling “Free Palestine” and “Kanker Joden (cancer Jews),” a slur, according to videos from the scene. At one point, there’s smoke in the tram and then a firework appears to explode inside the car, starting a fire.
🚨There are riots in Amsterdam again.
— Olia (@OliaOnX) November 11, 2024
The fans from Israel are gone, but the “Free Palestine” movement doesn’t care. They are simply busy doing what they know how to do - smash, burn, destroy and organize pogroms. Today, they set a tram on fire. pic.twitter.com/EH8rBXhZY7
Dutch police said it was unclear what prompted the violence or who started it. Dutch media said there were no injuries reported in the fire.
Last week, Amsterdam authorities declared a state of emergency — during which all protests are banned — after locals attacked Israelis who were in the city for a soccer match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax, a major Dutch club. At least 10 Israelis reported injuries and five were hospitalized from the targeted beatings, many of which were recorded and posted to social media by the assailants. The Dutch police arrested at least 60 people last week, and five more were arrested Monday in connection with the attacks; eight are currently still being held.
More than 50 people were detained on Sunday for attempting to participate in a banned demonstration, where protesters shouted “Free Palestine.”
Tensions had been high in the city before the attacks. Pro-Palestinian groups scheduled a series of protests pegged to the match and spray-painted anti-Israel slogans around the city; leading up to the game, Maccabi fans tore down Palestinian flags around the city and shouted anti-Arab chants.
Did you know that only 2% of Forward readers donate to support our nonprofit newsroom? That 2% make it possible for millions to read the Forward without a paywall or subscription — removing any barriers to the full and fair Jewish story.
But while the Forward is free to read, it isn’t free to produce. Big stories — like deep dives into the antisemitism data, political scoops or reporting trips to college campuses — take months of research and fact-checking. All while we keep you informed of what you need to know each day.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Forward Publisher & CEO
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
