Amsterdam: “The attackers organized themselves in groups – see that the police are not on our side”

In Amsterdam last night, there was a silence that contrasted sharply with the dramatic events experienced by Maccabi Tel Aviv fans in the city the night before. While the scenes of the Dutch city seem peaceful, and the number of police forces present is extremely low, this silence felt far away and different from the fear and the hard feeling that the violent attack left on the group of fans.

Ofek Ziv27 years old from Petach Tikva, described his experiences in the horrific event. “Rumors started already on the train that there were groups of Muslims attacking fans in Dam square. We didn’t know whether to believe it and we didn’t know what to do,” he says. “As we were leaving the station, someone hit me in the head with a rock and we heard a crazy explosion like a rocket, but it was fireworks. We realized we had to start running.” According to him, the attackers organized themselves into groups, and with a feeling of complete anxiety, the fans began to flee to their hotel, trying to hide from the attack.

Omaranother fan, also shared the moments of fear. “Yesterday we left the casino and there was chaos outside the casino, the police escorted us a short distance and then left us alone. The Arabs came to us, I lost a shoe and then ten more came.” In such events, the sense of promiscuity and loneliness increased. “You see that the police are not on our side, my friend was left barefoot and they didn’t want to help us with that either.”

Along with the tension and fear, the feelings of anger and disappointment grow stronger among the fans. Son of Jehoash,25 years old from Rishon Lezion, recounted the events: “After the game, we wanted to go to the hotel, then three vehicles arrived, 12 people unloaded on us shouting ‘fruit of Palestine’. We ran to the hotel, barricaded ourselves in the lobby all night.” This feeling, according to him, “brought me back to Shiva in October. It’s that handful of radical Islam.”

Like other fans, Liav feels a sense of lawlessness on the part of the local police and the Israeli state as well. who are supposed to keep their safety.

Alongside the difficult experiences of Maccabi Tel Aviv fans, the voices of Dutch residents of the city are also heard who denounce the violence that took place in their city and express disgust at the conduct of the attackers. “I am ashamed of what happened here,” said Peter, a 34-year-old resident of Amsterdam. “Amsterdam is a city of freedom and tolerance, And what happened is completely contrary to our values. Such violence is not something we accept here, and I am sorry for this experience that the fans had with us.”

We met Marianna, a 30-year-old Dutch woman at a local restaurant, and she also emphasized the discomfort from the recent events: “This violence does not represent Amsterdam. It is a city where so many people come to enjoy peace and fun. To see foreigners attacked in this way hurts us all and tarnishes the our reputation”.

Meanwhile, in the seemingly peaceful city, there are Israelis who were still afraid last night to leave their safe places. Two Israelis said that they prefer to stay in the hotel and not go out on the street until their flight this morning, for fear that such an incident will repeat itself. Yuval, 29 years old from Tel Aviv, said: “These events left us with a terrible feeling of fear. After seeing what happened to our friends on the streets of Amsterdam, we decided to simply stay in the hotel until our flight tomorrow. I have no intention of taking a risk and going out on the street again.”

Yaron, from Tel Aviv, who came with his son, also expressed his fear: “I did not believe that I would find myself besieged with the child in my hotel room abroad, but after everything that happened, I have no choice. The feeling of insecurity here is palpable, and I just want to get there to the airport and feel safe again.”