At least 30 injured in Amsterdam anti-Semitic attacks

Authorities arrested 62 people for allegedly attacking several Jewish soccer fans, Amsterdam's acting Police Chief Peter Holla said at a Friday press conference. Between 20-30 people were injured and five people were treated in the hospital, Holla said. The violence broke out after a soccer game between Amsterdam’s AFC Ajax soccer club and Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C.. People on scooters roamed the city searching for Maccabi supporters, Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema said at the press conference. Rioters beat and kicked Jewish fans before fleeing from police, she continued. Maccabi supporters were abused and pelted with fireworks in several areas of the city, prompting riot police to intervene several times and ultimately escort Israeli fans to their hotels, the city police blog said.

It's shocking that one of the largest deployments of police this year, coupled with national assistance, could not prevent this violence, Holla told the media. About 800 officers were on duty with horseback police, K-9s, arrest units, and a water cannon, he said. Authorities responded to scuffles between supporters on both sides Wednesday night when Maccabi supporters allegedly pulled a Palestinian flag down from the building, vandalized a taxi, and burned a Palestinian flag, police said. The anti-Semitic attacks took place the following night.

Have police confirmed whether people have been kidnapped? Rumors started spreading online that Jewish fans had been kidnapped after Israeli families couldn’t get in contact with loved ones. Police received a number of inquiries from Jewish families about alleged disappearances, but police have no evidence of any kidnappings or hostage-taking, Holla said. These reports are still being investigated and a number of supporters thought missing have been located, he continued.

Dig deeper: Read Josh Schumacher’s report on anti-Semitic incidents reaching a record high in the last year.