Days after Amsterdam was gripped by what officials described as "a toxic cocktail" of hooliganism, antisemitism and fury at the war in Palestine and Israel, imams and rabbis from European organisations had travelled to the city to try to calm tensions.
"The roses are for every Amsterdammer, Muslim, Jew or of other faiths and origins, and also for the rioters in Amsterdam-West," Eliezer Wolff, a rabbi from Amsterdam, said. "The violent battle must be fought with love."
It was a small act aimed at starting to heal the wounds left by last week's events. A week on, the city's Jewish and Muslim communities have spoken of their fear, as questions linger about the events arising around the football match between local team Ajax and Israel's Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Locals and visitors appeared to have been involved in the unrest.
The first reports of disturbances emerged on Wednesday, with police saying Maccabi fans had torn down a Palestinian flag and burned it, shouted "fuck you, Palestine", attacked one taxi with their belts, and vandalised others.
Police said an online callout then led a number of taxi drivers to converge on a casino nearby, where about 400 Israeli fans had gathered. Police dispersed the drivers and escorted supporters out of the casino.
The next day there were clashes on the central Dam Square, where Maccabi supporters had gathered. The fans were filmed chanting racist, anti-Arab slogans. Police escorted the 2,600 fans to the game and dispersed people who had defied a ban on a pro-Palestinian protest outside the stadium.
After the match there were numerous assaults, described by the city's mayor, Femke Halsema, as violent "hit and run" attacks on Israeli supporters. Witnesses and screenshots of text messages suggest some had targeted Jews, asking people if they were Israeli or to show their passports.
This story is from the November 15, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the November 15, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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