This video shows how the Israeli hooligans misbehaved. Videos are being posted of what happened in Amsterdam between hooligans of Israeli football club Maccabi Tel Aviv and Amsterdam locals. Their later clashes with locals were widely reported, but nobody mentioned they were misbehaving already before that (they’re football hooligans, after all) and that they had ample opportunity to go to their hotels or be escorted by police, but they chose to roam the city and pick fights. FAFO. Israels genocide surprisingly unpopular around the world, who would have thought
Police was not expecting this?
I used to work in an office building next to a big football stadium, and on days of international matches every road was closed and the hooligans were separated by cordons, it was carefully arranged how the foreign fans could reach the stadium without bumping into local hooligans, mounted police were waiting nearby if something goes wrong.
They (Amsterdam council) made a soccer based risk analysis, which was deemed low.
Then because of the current political climate they explicitly kicked it up to the counter terrorism bureau of the Netherlands to make a risk assessment. The NCTB said there where no credible threats or other direct indications of pre planned problems but did indicate the risk as above average, hence the local government had almost double the extra police they normally would have in the occasion of a soccer match.
Now an independent audit of the preparations is scheduled and a separate audit of the day itself.
As for what happened on the day itself, both groups are pointing at the other, and depending on the stance people have on Israël they blame a specific group… but the fact is things are very unclear at this moment. We have very colored whiteness statements and videos that don’t show whole incidents from prelude to finish, just snippets.
The police did indicate that because the people assaulting the soccer supporters using small groups and hit and run tactic, they had a lot of problems getting a handle on things, as usually soccer riots is 2 large groups duking it out… this was very different… another reason the police are also conducting their separate investigation as they need to learn lessons from this as well.
I’m inclined to deem both groups assholes and wait for the investigation. Regardless violence of any kind is unacceptable. And soccer matches should have a surcharge to pay for police presence as this should not be on the publics dime.
Yes they were expecting it. The mayor of Amsterdam said that there were about 800 extra police officers
They were expecting this but disregarded the most sensible option of canceling the match due to political optics
There is nothing political about it
Total nonsense.