By admin 
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — A senior police officer warned on Tuesday of calls for more riots in Amsterdam after dozens of people armed with sticks and fireworks set fire to a tram on Monday evening as the city faced tensions after violence last week against fans of an Israeli football club.
Olivier Dutilh of the Amsterdam police said during the court hearing that “we have signals that there are calls for similar” unrest in the west of the city.
According to police, the fire was quickly extinguished on Monday and riot police officers cleared the square. The internet showed people damaging property and setting off fireworks. A police car later burned in a nearby street and police suspect arson.
According to police, it is not clear who caused the unrest and whether it is related to what happened last week. Some rioters could be heard on videos shared on social media using slurs against Jewish people.
Police said they have arrested three suspects and have called witnesses, including to the assault of a cyclist who was beaten up as he rode past the unrest.
Police noted the tense atmosphere since five people were treated in hospital on Thursday and dozens were arrested after a Maccabi Tel Aviv-Ajax match. Young people on scooters and on foot sought out Israeli fans, punched and kicked them and then fled to avoid police, Amsterdam’s mayor said.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators were banned by local authorities from gathering outside the stadium. Before the match, Maccabi fans also tore a Palestinian flag from a building in Amsterdam and chanted anti-Arab slogans on their way to the stadium. There were also reports of Maccabi fans starting a fight.
The Dutch police announced five new arrests on Monday in their investigation into that previous violence. The suspects are men between 18 and 37 years old and come from Amsterdam or surrounding cities. Four remain in custody, while the fifth has been released but remains a suspect.
Police previously said four other people arrested last week would remain in custody as investigations continue. Two of them are minors, a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old from Amsterdam. The other two are men from Amsterdam and a nearby city.
Police said they have identified more than 170 witnesses and collected forensic evidence from dozens. Prime Minister Dick Schoof said they were also investigating videos posted on social media.
Schoof met with community leaders Tuesday afternoon to discuss anti-Semitism.
Reports of anti-Semitic speech, vandalism and violence have been on the rise in Europe since the start of the war in Gaza last year, and tensions rose in Amsterdam ahead of Thursday night’s match.
The mayor has banned all demonstrations in the city and declared several parts of Amsterdam risk zones where the police can arrest and check anyone. Dozens were arrested on Sunday for participating in a banned pro-Palestinian demonstration in central Amsterdam.
A small demonstration was ended by police outside Amsterdam’s city hall on Tuesday during a debate about the unrest, NOS reports.
Quell writes for the Associated Press.