Red and green smoke bombs were set off during protests at Amsterdam’s Museumplein, near the Concertgebouw, as Israeli cantor Shai Abramson performed in private Hanukkah concerts at the nearby venue, De Telegraaf reported on Sunday evening.
Police were deployed in large numbers as demonstrations continued under court-approved restrictions.
Several hundred pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered at Museumplein, where a larger protest had been permitted, according to De Telegraaf.
Protesters carried Palestinian flags and chanted slogans including “Concertgebouw disgrace, blood on your hands” and “child murderers.” Police warned demonstrators to remain behind the fencing and formed a line in front of the protest area. After some protesters attempted to climb the barriers, authorities reinforced the fencing.
Police confirmed that several arrests were made but did not release further details. “It's about people who didn't follow the rules who were arrested,” a police spokesperson told De Telegraaf.
Earlier in the evening, a separate demonstration took place directly outside the Concertgebouw. A court ruling allowed up to 30 demonstrators to hold a silent protest near the building between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m., NL Times reported. Thirty pro-Palestinian activists stood near the main entrance holding signs opposing Abramson’s appearance, according to De Telegraaf.
According to the report, once concertgoers had entered the building, the protest outside the Concertgebouw was disbanded.
Earlier in the day, fewer than 20 demonstrators gathered outside the Concertgebouw shortly after midday for a silent protest permitted between 12:45 p.m. and 1:30 p.m., according to NL Times. Protesters held signs reading “no stage for genocide” and “the Concertgebouw is occupied,” while police monitored the scene.
Inside the Concertgebouw, a public family Hanukkah concert took place in the afternoon without Abramson. Two private, invitation-only performances featuring the cantor were scheduled for the evening.
During the afternoon performance of Maestro Jules and the Miracle of Chanukah, a group of pro-Palestinian protesters briefly blocked the JW Brouwers entrance on the side of the Concertgebouw, according to De Telegraaf.
The blockade lasted about 20 minutes, after which some demonstrators moved on to Museumplein. Others were arrested.
Chanan Hertzberger, chairman of the Central Jewish Council, who observed the protest from a distance, told De Telegraaf, “Abramson sings songs; he's not accused of crimes against humanity. He was here in 2023, too; I think it's presumptuous to demonstrate now,” he said. “This is simply harassing the Jewish community.”
When asked why the demonstration took place during a family performance in which Abramson was not appearing, one protester told De Telegraaf, “He'll be there soon. We're against genocide.”
Abramson's performances at IDF ceremonies drew debates
NL Times reported that Abramson’s participation in the Hanukkah concerts prompted debate ahead of the event because he also performs at ceremonies for the IDF.
The Concertgebouw initially canceled the concert but later reached a compromise following legal action and discussions with organizers, allowing Abramson to perform only during private evening concerts.
Ahead of Sunday’s events, Israel’s National Center for Combating Antisemitism warned that the planned demonstrations carried a “high risk level,” citing online activity indicating a possible turnout of several hundred protesters, according to Jewish News Syndicate (JNS). The center said the protests were being held with police permits.
Earlier in the evening, a small group of pro-Israel demonstrators carrying Israeli flags gathered near the Concertgebouw, where Chief Rabbi Binyomin Jacobs led a Hanukkah service before the group dispersed, De Telegraaf reported.