Eight Ajax fans arrested in Amsterdam riots after match was cancelled

The Hague, September 16 (IANS): Dutch police have arrested eight Ajax fans in Amsterdam following riots sparked by the cancellation of an Eredivisie match between Ajax and FC Utrecht due to a police strike.

According to authorities, supporters gathered in the city center, causing damage to police headquarters and vandalizing police vehicles. Riot police were deployed after the crowd continued to clash with officers.

Rioters had initially gathered at Leidseplein, a public square in central Amsterdam, to protest the police strike that forced Ajax to miss a league game for the second consecutive Sunday. The protest grew, leading to trams being blocked and shop windows being vandalized in the area, Xinhua reported.

The Ajax-FC Utrecht match was cancelled due to the lack of police officers to ensure the players’ safety, as the police officers demonstrated to demand early retirement. Two weeks earlier, another Eredivisie match, Feyenoord-Ajax in Rotterdam, was also cancelled due to the police strike.