Hilversum man arrested for inciting Maccabi match violence

A 32-year-old man from Hilversum has been arrested in connection with the violence surrounding last month’s Ajax Maccabi Tel Aviv football match in Amsterdam.

Police did not say if the man is considered to be an important driver of the attacks on Maccabi supporters but did say further arrests have not been ruled out.

The man was arrested on suspicion of public order offences and of group insult, police said on Friday. He is said to have run a WhatsApp group with around 100 members, who were urged to “commit criminal acts” on the night of November 7, when the match took place. He also spread information about the attacks.

The man was arrested on Tuesday and remanded in custody for a further period on Friday.

The night of violence left five people in hospital and caused widespread panic among Maccabi supporters and the city’s Jewish community.

Seven men have been ordered to appear in court next week in connection with the trouble before and after the match.

One man, aged 22 and from the Eindhoven region, faces charges of attempted murder, grievous bodily harm and public order offences, the public prosecution department said last week.

The six others, three from Amsterdam, the others from Monnickendam, Utrecht and The Hague, face violent disorder offences on the day of the match or afterward, as well as robbery, group insult and the possession of fireworks. One man has been charged with sharing information about the violence.