A new report has revealed that Amsterdam police were overwhelmed by the rapid and organized attacks on Israeli football fans last November.
The violence started in the early hours of November 8, 2024, when several individuals provoked and attacked Israeli fans supporting the Maccabi Tel Aviv football club. The attackers used social media platforms to promote violence and share targets for hit and run attacks. Five individuals were hospitalized.
One example cited about social media was how “relatively minor incidents, such as the removal of a Palestinian flag by Maccabi supporters, were shared, interpreted, and magnified within minutes.”
“Although the police acted decisively, they were also overtaken at times by the speed and unpredictability of developments,” the report stated.
The assaults were carried out through “blitz attacks by small groups of rioters, using taxis and scooters to move around quickly and target Jewish people on the streets,” which posed a challenge for officers.
