Dutch
police have made five more arrests over the violence which followed a
match involving an Israeli football team in Amsterdam on Thursday night.
The five men, all from the
Netherlands and aged between 18 and 37, are suspected of "public
violence against persons" before and after the Maccabi Tel Aviv match
against local team Ajax.
Prime
Minister Dick Schoof said earlier on Monday that "antisemitic attacks
against Israelis and Jews" were "nothing short of shocking and
reprehensible".
Unrest flared up
again in the city on Monday evening when an empty tram was attacked.
Some rioters reportedly shouted "Free Palestine", according to local
media.
On
Thursday night, youths on scooters criss-crossed the Dutch capital in
"hit-and-run" attacks on Maccabi supporters who were visiting for the
Europa League match, authorities said.
The five new arrests come on top of 63
announced by the authorities since the violence. One of the five was
released from custody but remains a suspect.
Police also made several arrests after the new unrest in the city on Monday. No injuries were reported.
Dozens of youths dressed in black damaged cars in a western suburb,
where the tram was attacked on '40-'45 Square. Videos posted on social
media show a tram being attacked with fireworks and its windows being
shattered.
A fire on the tram was quickly extinguished and riot officers cleared the square, making arrests, Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant reports.
Schoof promised that the Netherlands would focus on bringing perpetrators of Thursday's violence to justice.
"The
images and reports for Amsterdam and what we've seen this weekend of
antisemitic attacks against Israelis and Jews are nothing short of
shocking and reprehensible," he told journalists.
He also commented on reports that
Maccabi supporters had attacked a taxi and burnt a Palestinian flag in
Amsterdam, as well as chanting anti-Arab slogans.
"We
are well aware of what happened earlier with Maccabi supporters but we
think that's of a different category and we condemn any violence as
well, but that is no excuse whatsoever for what happened later on that
night in the attacks on Jews in Amsterdam," he said.
Pro-Palestinian protests planned in recent days had been banned, angering activists.
Some
have argued that they should be free to voice their disapproval of
Israel's actions in Gaza and the actions of the Maccabi supporters.
Police chief Peter Holla has said there had been incidents "on both
sides" during Thursday's clashes.
The
violence was condemned by leaders across Europe, the US and Israel. For
many, it was especially shocking coming on the eve of commemorations
marking Kristallnacht, the 1938 Nazi pogroms against German Jews.
Three-quarters of Jewish people in the Netherlands were murdered during the Holocaust in World War Two.
Reports of antisemitic incidents in Europe have risen since the start of the war in Gaza just over a year ago.
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