Over 50 arrested at illegal protest on Dam Square
The police arrested over 50 protesters at a banned demonstration on Dam Square in Amsterdam on Sunday afternoon. Another 340 people were removed from the square in buses, the police confirmed on X.
The city of Amsterdam banned demonstrations as part of an emergency ordinance that is in effect in the capital on Thursday. This followed attacks on Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters after a match against Ajax last week. There were more incidents on Saturday.
Despite the ban, hundreds of Palestinian-support protesters gathered on Dam Square on Sunday afternoon. The police ordered them to leave, but not everyone complied. Officers then formed a line on the square to drive the protesting people to the side using shields and batons, an ANP reporter said from the scene. After the police had taken away the detainees and the other demonstrators by bus, calm returned to the square at around 5:00 p.m.
A few hours before the protest, activist Frank van der Linde was in court to challenge the emergency ordinance that banned protests, arguing that the city was depriving the Dutch of their right to demonstrate. The court ruled in the city’s favor, NU.nl reported. The judge said that a protest could cause new escalation.
Later on Sunday, the Amsterdam mayor, police, and prosecutor decided to extend the emergency ordinance in the capital until 7:00 a.m. on Thursday. In addition to a ban on demonstrators, the decree also gives the police more power to take preventive action, like stopping and searching people. Jewish institutions will also get extra security.
