STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
The Dutch government added an urgent meeting to its schedule today. Officials want to discuss how to make the Jewish community feel more safe. Yesterday, pro-Palestinian protesters defied a ban and gathered in Amsterdam. They criticized what they call an unfair response to last week's violence against Israeli soccer fans. Teri Schultz reports.
TERI SCHULTZ: Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof has called his cabinet together to examine what more can be done to prevent the rise of antisemitism and violent incidents like the attacks on Israeli soccer fans last week. Law enforcement is still combing through social media videos, trying to identify those who hunted down and beat up Jewish visitors. Some suspects will be brought before a judge early this week. Meanwhile, in downtown Amsterdam Sunday, more arrests...
(SOUNDBITE OF PROTEST)
UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS #1: (Chanting) Shame on you. Shame on you.
SCHULTZ: ...As hundreds of people held a pro-Palestinian demonstration despite a prohibition on all protests through the weekend imposed in reaction to the violence.
(SOUNDBITE OF PROTEST)
UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTER #1: (Chanting) Free, free Palestine.
UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS #2: (Chanting) Free, free Palestine.
SCHULTZ: Organizers say they were defying the ban to speak out against what they believe is a one-sided response by authorities and the media to the Thursday night incidents. City officials have confirmed some Israeli soccer fans burned Palestinian flags and chanted about the destruction of Gaza, but they said nothing can justify the antisemitic targeting that happened afterwards. Participants in the Sunday protest declined to give their last names out of concern for being punished for violating the ban. Boris was one of the organizers.
BORIS: The media and the Dutch government only showed one side of the story. What we didn't see is that the Israeli hooligans came here with a very clear reason. They came here to be violent. They came here to be saying death to all Arabs. They came here with weapons.
SCHULTZ: Eden came from The Hague to take part.
EDEN: I condemn bigotry in all forms, and I think that antisemitism and Islamophobia needs to be addressed. But currently, the way that our media and our politicians and the police force is handling this is selective and wrong.
SCHULTZ: Despite all the problems that occurred in Amsterdam, French officials have decided not to cancel a soccer match against Israel scheduled for next week in Paris. The police force there plans to deploy 4,000 officers, and 1,600 workers will be on duty to keep order inside the stadium. French President Emmanuel Macron has announced he'll attend, saying it's a way to stand up to antisemitism.
For NPR News, I'm Teri Schultz. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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