Anti-Israel riots have spread to the Netherlands.
Police arrested more than 120 people at a camp at the University of Amsterdam in the early hours of Tuesday morning. The mass arrests come as demonstrations calling for the destruction of the United States and Israel sweep across U.S. campuses and spread to Europe.
Police in the Dutch capital said in a statement that the protests turned violent and their actions were “necessary to restore order.”
Footage from the scene broadcast by state broadcaster NOS showed police using batons and shields as they entered the demonstration, beating some protesters and knocking down tents. Police also used mechanical excavators to dismantle roadblocks.
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Anti-Israel students wave Palestinian flags and placards as they occupy the Amsterdam University campus on May 6, 2024. (Nick Gammon/AFP via Getty Images)
There have been no reports of casualties.
On Monday, agitators followed the template of agitators at America’s elite colleges and universities, building barricades out of wooden pallets and bicycles, NOS reported.
Photos from the Amsterdam campus showed agitators setting up tents, displaying anti-Israel banners and collecting food containers.
On May 6, 2024, students at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) camped on the university campus, calling on the university to sever all ties with Israel over its war with Hamas. (Nick Gammon/AFP via Getty Images)
More and more people joined the demonstrators, who eventually took over part of the university. They urged Amsterdam’s universities to sever academic ties with Israel over its war with Hamas in Gaza and the rising civilian death toll.
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Police intervened after a scuffle broke out between two rival groups on campus on Monday night.
Anti-Israel protesters evacuate on buses under police surveillance on the campus of the University of Amsterdam (UvA) in Rotterseeland on May 7, 2024. (EVA PLEVIER/ANP/AFP via Getty Images)
On May 6, 2024, two rival groups clashed at an anti-Israel rally on the campus of the University of Amsterdam (UvA) in Roeterseiland, Amsterdam. (EVA PLEVIER/ANP/AFP via Getty Images)
Police repeatedly ordered protesters to leave, but they said they ignored them, so they cleared the makeshift encampment.
Police said: “This form of protest creates a very unsafe situation, partly because roadblocks prevent emergency services from accessing the scene. If a disaster occurs, activists themselves may be trapped at the scene.”
Police repeatedly ordered protesters to leave. (EVA PLEVIER/ANP/AFP via Getty Images)
Police said the campus remained calm Tuesday after the crowd dispersed.
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There have also been demonstrations on campuses in France and the UK in recent days.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
