Some 50 arrests after Ajax celebrations
Some 50 people were arrested and one person was injured when riots broke out on Amsterdam’s Leidseplein on Monday night following the celebratory appearance of Dutch Cup winners Ajax.
Earlier in the evening around 10,000 Ajax fans congregated on the Museumplein to give a hero’s welcome to the team that beat AZ Alkmaar in a thrilling penalty shoot-out (8-7) on Sunday.
After the official reception, groups of supporters gathered at the Leidseplein despite the presence of riot police. According to ANP news agency, the atmosphere was ‘grim’. When riot police moved in to clear the area, football supporters started breaking shop windows and challenging the police.
The area was calm again by around 10pm, said ANP.
Before the riots, police chief Bernard Welten warned that if supporters did not behave themselves it would be the end of such events on the Museumplein. Last year’s celebrations led to similar riots.
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