‘People were afraid to wear their keffiyeh’ says pro-Palestine Amsterdam local

‘People were afraid to wear their keffiyeh’ says pro-Palestine Amsterdam local
Middle East Eye spoke to Pro-Palestine locals who had gathered near Amsterdam’s City Hall as mayor Femke Halsema was set to hold a press conference on Thursday’s events.

Israeli hooligans, supporters of the Maccabi Tel Aviv football club, stirred trouble on Wednesday and Thursday in different parts of the Dutch capital ahead of their Uefa Europa League match against Amsterdam club Ajax.

Amid the provocations against Arabs in the city, clashes erupted between the Israeli hooligans and some youth before and after the match and late into the night.

The mayor of Amsterdam, Femke Halsema, had also moved a pro-Palestine protest away from the stadium, which was planned by a group of demonstrators who wanted to express their discontent with hosting the Israeli team.