Amsterdam police arrest 154 fans for anti-Semitic acts

This past Saturday (6), the Dutch police captured about 154 fans for anti-Semitic chants in the Amsterdam subway. They were on their way to the football match between Ajax and AZ Alkmaar which takes place in Johan Cruijff Arena. According to authorities, the group was instructed to stop singing, but after persisting, they were arrested for collective insult at Strandvliet station around 19:30 (14:30 GMT). All the fans who sang were arrested, according to the police.

“Police detained 154 football fans tonight for anti-Semitic chants on the subway. The train was stopped and supporters were arrested for insult.”informed the police of the capital in its Twitter.

Amsterdam has a strong connection to the Jewish community, as does the Ajax team. The capital was once known as “Jerusalem of the West”. Just before World War II, an estimated 140,000 Jews lived in the Netherlands, according to the Jewish Online Library, American-Israeli Cooperative Company, International Association of Educating Cities (AICE). In 1940 it was invaded by Nazi Germany and had part of its people exterminated.

_{Match between Ajax and AZ Alkmaar/Social media/Playback}

This connection is also reflected in the population of the capital and in the local football club itself. During matches it is normal to see Ajax fans with Israeli flags praising their community. But it is often seen as a provocation against rivals. The Holocaust is one of the saddest events of all humanity and the Jewish community. Any scream or song referring to an anti-Semitic event will be arrested and will have to report to the Amsterdam police.

So far, the local police have not provided information about the arrest of the group and what punishment will be applied. The teams competing for Ajax and AZ Alkmaar also declined to comment. The match ended 0-0.

Featured photo: Israeli flag/Reproduction/GettyImagens