154 fans of the football club AZ Alkmaar were arrested in Amsterdam for singing anti-Semitic songs in a subway. According to the police, they were arrested for group insult. As a result, the subway, which was heading to the Johan Cruijff ArenA, was stopped at Strandvliet station around 7:30 p.m. Ajax played a home match against AZ on Saturday evening, which ended without a goal.

The police reported that the AZ supporters were warned several times to stop. In addition, some supporters, it is unknown how many, also allegedly committed acts of vandalism. However, no further details are yet known about this.

AZ condemns the behavior of some of its supporters prior to Saturday’s game with Ajax in Amsterdam. “AZ rejects and condemns the fact that a small section of its supporters uttered hurtful speech chants on their way to the stadium on Saturday night,” the Alkmaar Eredivisionist wrote on its website. “The club strongly disapproves of inflammatory behavior and discrimination in any form and emphatically distances itself from those who were guilty of this.”

The club said it is awaiting the investigation. “We are logically providing all the cooperation that is requested in this regard.”

In response to the incident, Central Jewish Consultation chairman Chanan Hertzberger said, “The Central Jewish Consultation is satisfied with the decision to intervene and directly combat anti-Semitism.”

Metrotrein vol onderweg naar voetbalwedstrijd aangehouden vanwege antisemitisme. CJO tevreden met het besluit om in te grijpen en antisemitisme lik op stuk aan te pakken. pic.twitter.com/dIz1L8Y9lU

— Centraal Joods Overleg (CJO) (@CJO_NL) May 6, 2023

Reporting by ANP