Amsterdam warns of new calls for unrest after violence around Israeli soccer match

A senior police officer warned Tuesday of calls for more rioting in Amsterdam, after dozens of people armed with sticks and firecrackers set a tram on fire Monday night and the city faces tensions following violence last week targeting fans of an Israeli soccer club.Olivier Dutilh, of the Amsterdam police force, told a court hearing that “we have signals that there are calls for similar” unrest in the west of the city.Streets in the area were relatively calm as evening fell, and the security presence was low-profile.The Amsterdam mayor, chief of police and top public prosecutor published a report Monday outlining what happened last week, including new details about actions by Maccabi Tel Aviv fans ahead of the Maccabi Tel Aviv-Ajax soccer match.Local authorities had decided against banning the game, but beefed up security.Pro-Palestinian demonstrators were banned by local authorities from gathering outside the stadium.The day before the game, authorities reported incidents and saw social media posts threatening Maccabi fans.Around midnight, Israeli fans ripped a Palestinian flag off a downtown building and several of them took off their belts and attacked a cab, the document said.Cab drivers sought to mobilize online in response, and centered on a casino where some 400 Israeli fans were gathered.

Police mobilized to avoid a major confrontation.The morning of the game, authorities were “specifically worried about the Maccabi fans and the reaction of cab drivers,” the document said.Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema pleaded with the Israeli ambassador for officials in Israel to make clear “that this is about a sporting event and should not be mixed with politics.”In the afternoon, social media posts hardened and antisemitic terms were used.After the 5-0 win of Ajax over Maccabi, parts of a large group of Maccabi supporters “are running around with sticks destroying things,” the document said.There were also “rioters, moving in small groups, by foot, sco...