Netherlands: Amsterdam Soccer Rioters on Trial

On November 7, riots took place in Amsterdam following a soccer match between a Dutch team and an Israeli team. Once the match ended, Israeli fans and other Jews were hunted down in the streets and beaten by young Muslim men. Five victims were hospitalized and dozens of men were arrested.

Now court proceedings against the defendants are in progress. In the below article from Algemeen Dagblad, it is reported that two of the defendants, not only attacked Jews physically but participated in chat groups dedicated to inciting attacks against “cancer Jews”. Yet, incredulously, the public prosecutor sees no indications that anti-Semitism played a role. But we are talking about Dutch law here. 

The article is translated by Fousesquawk.

Public Prosecutor: Rachid O. shared locations of “cancer Jews” to beat, 2 years demanded for Sefa Ö

Amsterdam riots- The Public Prosecutor’s Ministry has demanded jail time up to 2 years against three rioters from the Ajax-Maccabi soccer match. Two men allegedly actually beat people, while a third actively shared information in a group chat on “cancer Jews to beat”.

-By Raymond Boere, December 11, 2024 at 07:00./ Latest update December 11, 2024 at 17:27

The most severe sentence demanded was for Sefa Ö. from Amsterdam. According to the Public Prosecutor, he was involved in a total of four violent incidents in the city center after the soccer match. Images were shown in the courtroom in which it was seen how  Ö. kicked a victim against a moving tram on the Dam (Square). He also threw punches at someone who was lying on the ground.  Ö., a hairstylist with a wife expecting a child in four months, said that he was sorry that he was present, but would not say anything further.

 More talkative was Rachid O. from Utrecht, who actively participated in the Buurthuis 2 group chat, in which, according to the Public Prosecutor, there was a hunt for Jews deep into the night. There were about 900 people in the group. Subsequently,  O. called it stupid that he joined this chat out of curiosity. “But I was frustrated and angry how Maccabi fans were shouting, “Death to Arabs,” earlier in the city.”

O. met up with friends in Amsterdam and then shared locations “where to beat cancer Jews”. He sent reports like, “smack them down” and bragged how he had stolen a cell phone. “Slapped and took a cell phone”, he said in the chat. He also allegedly shared a link that was to be sent to Jews in particular. When they reportedly opened it, it would automatically take a picture and their exact location would be sent to O.

It is clear to the police that O. explicitly hunted for Jews in this manner, and therefore, is complicit in the violence. But O. dismisses it as BS. He did not take the stolen phone after beating someone. He found the device on the street and quickly returned it to the rightful owner when the person himself called.

According to O., the link to actively track down Jews is nothing more than a joke. “I also sent it to my mother,” he explained, which caused amazement with one of the judges. “You still say that it is BS and a joke, but it doesn’t come across that way. This went on in the chat for hours.” 

For the prosecutor as well, the conversations were not as innocent as O. wanted the judges to believe. He demanded six months in jail, of which two months were provisional. Earlier in the day, the public prosecutor demanded a jail sentence of six months for Lucas D. (19) from Monnickendam, of which three (months) were provisional. According to the public prosecutor, he threw rocks at police near the stadium, had illegal, heavy fireworks, and participated in a chat group on Snapchat, in which there were calls to commit violence.

The images of the riots went all over the world. Politicians here and abroad talked about anti-Semitic attacks, but the Public Prosecutor’s Ministry has no indication of this. According to the prosecutors, the riots were mainly inspired by the anger over the situation in Gaza and the identification of the Maccabi supporters with the Israeli army.

The case against one of the suspects has been postponed. This 22-year-old refugee from Gaza reportedly kicked someone in the head four times and is accused of attempted manslaughter. According to his attorney, his client grew up in a refugee camp in Gaza, and he is possibly seriously traumatized. The judges agreed that he should first be examined by a psychologist.

The court will issue its ruling on December 24.

Source: http://garyfouse.blogspot.com/2024/12/netherlands-amsterdam-soccer-rioters-on.html