Tuesday 26 / November / 2024
Amsterdam: Dozens of people armed with sticks and firecrackers set a tram on fire in Amsterdam on Monday, police said.
It was not clear whether the unrest was related to attacks on Israeli football fans last week.
Also on Monday, police made several additional arrests related to the attacks.
It comes a day after riot police broke up a pro-Palestinian protest on Dam Square.
What else do we know about the tram incident in Amsterdam?
The tram caught fire at the '40-'45 Square in western Amsterdam, according to a police spokesman. The windows of the tram were also shattered.
The spokesman said that no one was injured in the incident, as the tram had been empty.
Police said the fire was quickly extinguished and riot officers cleared the square, making several arrests.
Footage on local broadcaster AT5 showed people in the square throwing fireworks, poles and wooden pallets.
Police told people to stay away from the square, adding that riot squads would remain there.
Five new arrests over attacks on Israeli fans
Dutch police said that they had arrested five more people over suspected involvement in attacks on Israeli football supporters who had come to see a match between visiting Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax Amsterdam last week.
The suspects are men aged 18 to 37 and living in the Netherlands.
Police had previously announced 63 arrests in connection with the attacks, but only four people remained in custody and appeared before a Dutch judge on Monday, public prosecutors said.
Earlier on Monday, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof condemned the incidents as "antisemitic attacks."
"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," Schoof told a press conference.
The Dutch premier stressed that "there is nothing that can justify" the attacks on on the Israeli football fans
Amsterdam banned demonstrations for three days from Friday over the incidents.
