Latest news with #FemkeHalsema
Daily Tribune
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Tribune
Amsterdam police 'overtaken' by speed of attacks on Israel fans: report
AFP | The Hague, Netherlands Amsterdam police trying to contain attacks on fans of Israeli football club Maccabi Tel Aviv in November were overwhelmed by assailants' hit-and-run tactics and rapid incitement via social media, according to a report published on Monday. The violence in the early hours of November 8, 2024, followed two days of skirmishes that saw Maccabi fans chant anti-Arab songs, vandalise a taxi and burn a Palestinian flag. The attacks left five people briefly hospitalised. Police acted with "great commitment, flexibility and professionalism", concluded the report by an oversight body in the justice ministry. Authorities were able to deploy 1,200 officers, drones, arrest squads, horses and water cannons but were still caught off-guard by the fast-moving events. "Although the police acted decisively, they were also overtaken at times by the speed and unpredictability of developments," the report noted. "Blitz attacks by small groups of rioters, using taxis and scooters to move around quickly and target Jewish people on the streets, made different demands on the approach taken by the police." Social media was another key factor in making the violence difficult to contain, the report said. "People were able to spread messages and images at lightning speed, thereby heightening existing tensions," it noted. "Relatively minor incidents, such as the removal of a Palestinian flag by Maccabi supporters, were shared, interpreted, and magnified within minutes." The report also criticised reactions in the immediate aftermath of the violence. Israeli President Isaac Herzog talked of an "anti-Semitic pogrom" while Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema drew parallels between the violence and "memories of pogroms". She later regretted this, saying the word had been used as propaganda. "What stands out is the speed with which everyone expressed an opinion in the aftermath of the events," said the report. "Politicians, administrators, and the media immediately jumped to conclusions, without having any insight into exactly what had occurred."
Fox Sports
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Fox Sports
Inquiries say social media fueled violence after a Maccabi-Ajax soccer match
Associated Press THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Social media posts coupled with a lack of official information fueled the violence that followed a Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer match in Amsterdam last year, two inquiries into the events said in reports Monday. Dozens were arrested and five people were treated in hospital in a series of violent overnight incidents following a November match between the Dutch team Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv. 'The events have left their mark on the city and led to fear, anger and sadness,' Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema wrote in a letter to the city council presenting one of the reports. Ahead of the game, pro-Palestinian demonstrators were banned by local authorities from gathering outside the stadium, and video showed a large crowd of Israeli fans chanting anti-Arab slogans on their way to the game. Afterward, youths on scooters and on foot crisscrossed the city in search of Israeli fans, punching and kicking them and then fleeing quickly to evade police. The Rotterdam-based Institute for Safety and Crisis Management, tasked by the Amsterdam government to investigate the response to the violence, said the lack of official communication from the city allowed rumors on social media to flourish. It noted that there was little to no official communication during the early hours of Nov. 8, in part because the situation was so unclear. In a separate report, the inspectorate for the Justice Ministry concluded that the police were prepared for large-scale demonstrations, not the 'flash attacks' perpetrated across the city and sparked by social media. 'Calls and images spread rapidly, reinforce existing tensions and can lead to group formation and confrontations on the street within a short period of time,' the 57-page report found. Both reports cautioned that even with improved communication, the authorities still could not have fully controlled the rapidly spreading violence. The Justice Ministry's report noted that "incidents, such as the removal of a Palestinian flag by Maccabi supporters, were shared, interpreted and magnified within minutes." More than a dozen people have been charged in connection with the violence and several have already been convicted. Over the weekend, the public prosecution service announced it had dropped investigations into several Maccabi supporters because the city's tram company GVB had deleted footage which could have been used as evidence. The company replaced recording equipment at two metro stations in Amsterdam after the attacks and footage from the night was lost. On Sunday, tens of thousands of demonstrators in the Netherlands donned red clothing and marched through The Hague, demanding that the Dutch government do more to oppose Israel's policies in Gaza. Dutch public support for the Israeli military campaign has dropped in recent months. in this topic
San Francisco Chronicle
16-06-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Inquiries say social media fueled violence after a Maccabi-Ajax soccer match
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Social media posts coupled with a lack of official information fueled the violence that followed a Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer match in Amsterdam last year, two inquiries into the events said in reports Monday. Dozens were arrested and five people were treated in hospital in a series of violent overnight incidents following a November match between the Dutch team Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv. 'The events have left their mark on the city and led to fear, anger and sadness,' Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema wrote in a letter to the city council presenting one of the reports. Ahead of the game, pro-Palestinian demonstrators were banned by local authorities from gathering outside the stadium, and video showed a large crowd of Israeli fans chanting anti-Arab slogans on their way to the game. Afterward, youths on scooters and on foot crisscrossed the city in search of Israeli fans, punching and kicking them and then fleeing quickly to evade police. The Rotterdam-based Institute for Safety and Crisis Management, tasked by the Amsterdam government to investigate the response to the violence, said the lack of official communication from the city allowed rumors on social media to flourish. It noted that there was little to no official communication during the early hours of Nov. 8, in part because the situation was so unclear. In a separate report, the inspectorate for the Justice Ministry concluded that the police were prepared for large-scale demonstrations, not the 'flash attacks' perpetrated across the city and sparked by social media. 'Calls and images spread rapidly, reinforce existing tensions and can lead to group formation and confrontations on the street within a short period of time,' the 57-page report found. Both reports cautioned that even with improved communication, the authorities still could not have fully controlled the rapidly spreading violence. The Justice Ministry's report noted that "incidents, such as the removal of a Palestinian flag by Maccabi supporters, were shared, interpreted and magnified within minutes." More than a dozen people have been charged in connection with the violence and several have already been convicted. Over the weekend, the public prosecution service announced it had dropped investigations into several Maccabi supporters because the city's tram company GVB had deleted footage which could have been used as evidence. The company replaced recording equipment at two metro stations in Amsterdam after the attacks and footage from the night was lost. On Sunday, tens of thousands of demonstrators in the Netherlands donned red clothing and marched through The Hague, demanding that the Dutch government do more to oppose Israel's policies in Gaza. Dutch public support for the Israeli military campaign has dropped in recent months.
Hamilton Spectator
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Inquiries say social media fueled violence after a Maccabi-Ajax soccer match
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Social media posts coupled with a lack of official information fueled the violence that followed a Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer match in Amsterdam last year, two inquiries into the events said in reports Monday. Dozens were arrested and five people were treated in hospital in a series of violent overnight incidents following a November match between the Dutch team Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv. 'The events have left their mark on the city and led to fear, anger and sadness,' Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema wrote in a letter to the city council presenting one of the reports. Ahead of the game, pro-Palestinian demonstrators were banned by local authorities from gathering outside the stadium, and video showed a large crowd of Israeli fans chanting anti-Arab slogans on their way to the game. Afterward, youths on scooters and on foot crisscrossed the city in search of Israeli fans, punching and kicking them and then fleeing quickly to evade police. The Rotterdam-based Institute for Safety and Crisis Management, tasked by the Amsterdam government to investigate the response to the violence, said the lack of official communication from the city allowed rumors on social media to flourish. It noted that there was little to no official communication during the early hours of Nov. 8, in part because the situation was so unclear. In a separate report, the inspectorate for the Justice Ministry concluded that the police were prepared for large-scale demonstrations, not the 'flash attacks' perpetrated across the city and sparked by social media. 'Calls and images spread rapidly, reinforce existing tensions and can lead to group formation and confrontations on the street within a short period of time,' the 57-page report found. Both reports cautioned that even with improved communication, the authorities still could not have fully controlled the rapidly spreading violence. The Justice Ministry's report noted that 'incidents, such as the removal of a Palestinian flag by Maccabi supporters, were shared, interpreted and magnified within minutes.' More than a dozen people have been charged in connection with the violence and several have already been convicted. Over the weekend, the public prosecution service announced it had dropped investigations into several Maccabi supporters because the city's tram company GVB had deleted footage which could have been used as evidence. The company replaced recording equipment at two metro stations in Amsterdam after the attacks and footage from the night was lost. On Sunday, tens of thousands of demonstrators in the Netherlands donned red clothing and marched through The Hague , demanding that the Dutch government do more to oppose Israel's policies in Gaza . Dutch public support for the Israeli military campaign has dropped in recent months. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
CTV News
16-06-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Inquiries say social media fuelled violence after a Maccabi-Ajax soccer match
Amsterdam's Mayor Femke Halsema, centre, acting Amsterdam police chief Peter Holla, left, and head of the Amsterdam public prosecutor's office René de Beukelaer hold a news conference after Israeli fans and protesters clashed overnight after a soccer match, in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Nov, 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Mike Corder, File)
