Dutch tram set on fire while tensions are high after violence targeting Israeli fans

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Dozens of people armed with sticks and firecrackers set a tram on fire in Amsterdam on Monday, police said, while the city is facing tensions following violence last week targeting fans of an Israeli soccer club.

Police said the fire was quickly extinguished and riot officers cleared the square. Images online showed people damaging property and setting firecrackers.

Police said it was not clear who started the unrest and whether it was related to what happened last week. But they noted the tense atmosphere since five people were treated in the hospital and dozens detained Thursday following a Maccabi Tel Aviv-Ajax match. Youths on scooters and on foot went in search of Israeli fans, punching and kicking them and then fleeing to evade police, according to Amsterdam’s mayor.

Dutch police announced five new arrests Monday in their investigation into that earlier violence. The suspects are men aged 18 to 37 and are from Amsterdam or surrounding cities. Four are still in custody; the fifth has been released but remains a suspect.

Earlier, police said that four other men who had been arrested last week would remain in custody while the investigation continues. Two of those are minors, a 16-year old and a 17-year old from Amsterdam. The other two men are from Amsterdam and a nearby city.

Police said they have identified over 170 witnesses and have taken forensics evidence from dozens. Prime Minister Dick Schoof said they were also examining videos posted to social media.

Reports of antisemitic speech, vandalism and violence have been on the rise in Europe since the start of the war in Gaza, and tensions mounted in Amsterdam ahead of Thursday night’s match.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators were banned by local authorities from gathering outside the stadium. Before the match, Maccabi fans also tore a Palestinian flag off a building in Amsterdam and chanted anti-Arab slogans on their way to the stadium. There were also reports of Maccabi fans starting fights.

The mayor has banned all demonstrations in the city and declared several parts of Amsterdam risk zones where police can stop and check anyone. D ozens were detained on Sunday for taking part in a pro-Palestinian demonstration in central Amsterdam that had been outlawed.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar rushed to the Netherlands on Friday and offered Israel’s help in the police investigation. He met on Saturday with the Dutch prime minister and said in a statement that the attacks and demands to show passports “were reminiscent of dark periods in history.”