Dutch king says Amsterdam unrest is personally upsetting, as city lifts protest ban

The unrest in Amsterdam last week was a painful event to watch, said Dutch King Willem-Alexander on Thursday after visiting the Oslo City Hall in Norway. "Of course it affects me deeply, and it hurts me to see what is happening in the streets of Amsterdam, and that people are really struggling with fundamental problems." He spoke about the situation in the Dutch capital as Amsterdam cautiously lifted its ban on demonstrations there.

When asked to say more about what happened in Amsterdam, Willem-Alexander quickly said he did not know enough at the moment "to be able to give a really good substantive answer to questions about this subject." He wants to first return to the Netherlands and "hear what is going on, before we can dive into this further."

Last week, the king shared in a message on social media that he had spoken to Israeli President Herzog about the riots in Amsterdam that started after the Ajax-Maccabi Tel Aviv football match last Thursday, and continued into early Friday morning. He said he was "shocked" by the violence against Israeli supporters who were in the Netherlands for the Europa League match.

"We must not look away from antisemitic behaviour on our streets. History has taught us how intimidation goes from bad to worse, with horrific consequences. Jewish people must feel safe in the Netherlands, everywhere and at all times. We embrace them all and hold them close," Willem-Alexander said at the time on social media.

According to the Israeli president's office, during their conversation the king condemned the events and expressed his "horror and shock" at the violence. “We failed the Jewish community of the Netherlands during World War II, and last night we failed again," Willem-Alexander said, according to Herzog's office. The Cabinet's press office confirmed the call took place, but not the content of the conversation.

Earlier, the Palestinian Network Netherlands (PNN) also asked the king and Prime Minister Dick Schoof to speak out against all forms of racism and violence, "including anti-Semitism, anti-Palestinian racism and violence, and any other form of racism and violence".

Meanwhile, people are now allowed to demonstrate in Amsterdam again even though the city will remain a safety risk area until noon on Monday, with police given permission to do preventive searches. The decision was made jointly by the city’s mayor, and the local heads of the police and Public Prosecution Service.

The emergency order implemented in the city last Friday, including the general ban on demonstrations, is “no longer acceptable or legally tenable,” Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema wrote in a letter to the City Council. There are also concerns that police resources are being stretched thin in order to enforce the protest ban.

Demonstrations without exemption have therefore been possible again from noon on Thursday, although the city officials still fear disorder. The municipality assesses registered demonstrations and can attach additional conditions or, in extreme cases, ban them.

The three city officials will decide on Monday morning whether the other measures concerning the safety risk area and preventive searches need to be extended.

The municipality imposed an emergency ordinance on Friday evening after disturbances surrounding the Ajax - Maccabi Tel Aviv match that banned demonstrations throughout the city. The emergency decree applied until Monday morning but was then extended for three days.

Despite the ban on demonstrations, people took to the streets several times. On Wednesday evening, several hundred pro-Palestinian activists gathered again on Dam Square in Amsterdam. A total of 281 people were arrested.