Amsterdam police detain pro-Palestinian protesters at banned demonstration

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Police detained dozens of people Sunday for taking part in a demonstration in central Amsterdam that had been outlawed following violence targeting fans of an Israeli soccer club.

Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema banned all demonstrations over the weekend in the aftermath of the grim scenes of youths on scooters and on foot attacking Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters on Thursday and Friday in what was widely condemned as a violent outburst of antisemitism in the Dutch capital.

Late Sunday afternoon, the municipality, together with Amsterdam police and public prosecutor's office, extended the ban on demonstrations until Thursday morning.

Israel’s ambassador to the Netherlands said that 2,000 Israelis were brought home on special flights from Amsterdam over the past few days.

Before the match against Ajax, Maccabi fans also tore a Palestinian flag off a building in Amsterdam and chanted anti-Arab slogans on their way to the stadium. There were also reports of Maccabi fans starting fights.

Amsterdam Police said on X that they detained more than 50 people and removed 340 from the scene of the protest.

The protesters yelled slogans including “Free, free Palestine.”

Amsterdam Municipality said on X that police had begun arresting demonstrators who refused to leave the square, which is in the heart of the city's downtown shopping area and close to the historic canal network.

Organizers of the protest went to court on Sunday morning seeking an injunction to allow the demonstration, but a judge upheld the ban imposed by the municipality.

At the hearing, senior Amsterdam police officer Olivier Dutilh said that there were again incidents overnight targeting people thought to be Jewish, including some being ordered out of taxis and others being asked to produce their passports to confirm their nationality.

Police launched a large-scale investigation Friday after gangs of youths conducted what Amsterdam’s mayor called “hit and run” attacks on fans that were apparently inspired by calls on social media to target Jewish people. Five people were treated at hospitals and more than 60 suspects were arrested.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar rushed to the Netherlands on Friday and offered Israel’s help in the police investigation. He met on Saturday with Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof and said in a statement that the attacks and demands to show passports “were reminiscent of dark periods in history.”

In France, Paris police said Sunday that 4,000 officers and 1,600 stadium staff will be deployed for a France-Israel soccer match on Thursday to ensure security in and around the stadium and on public transportation.

People welcome Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer fans as they arrive at Israel's Ben-Gurion International Airport on a flight from Amsterdam, where Israeli soccer fans were attacked following a match between the Israeli club and Ajax Amsterdam, in Lod, Israel, Friday, Nov. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)

People welcome Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer fans as they arrive at Israel's Ben-Gurion International Airport on a flight from Amsterdam, where Israeli soccer fans were attacked following a match between the Israeli club and Ajax Amsterdam, in Lod, Israel, Friday, Nov. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)

People welcome Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer fans as they arrive at Israel's Ben-Gurion International Airport on a flight from Amsterdam, where Israeli soccer fans were attacked following a match between the Israeli club and Ajax Amsterdam, in Lod, Israel, Friday, Nov. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)

A woman embraces her son, who is a fan of Maccabi Tel Aviv, as he arrives at Israel's Ben-Gurion International Airport on a flight from Amsterdam, where Israeli soccer fans were attacked following a match between the Israeli club and Ajax Amsterdam in Lod, Israel, Friday, Nov. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)

In this image taken from video, police in riot gear run towards protesters, after pro-Palestinian supporters marched near the soccer stadium, in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (RTL Nieuws via AP)

People welcome Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer fans as they arrive at Israel's Ben-Gurion International Airport on a flight from Amsterdam, where Israeli soccer fans were attacked following a match between the Israeli club and Ajax Amsterdam, in Lod, Israel, Friday, Nov. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)

In this image taken from video, a group of pro-Palestinian protesters walk toward police line, with police vans driving in the background, near the soccer stadium in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (RTL Nieuws via AP)

Amsterdam's Mayor Femke Halsema, centre, acting Amsterdam police chief Peter Holla, left, and head of the Amsterdam public prosecutor's office René de Beukelaer hold a news conference after Israeli fans and protesters clashed overnight after a soccer match, in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Friday Nov, 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Mike Corder)

DETROIT (AP) — Erik Spoelstra blamed himself for a “horrendous mistake” after calling a timeout the Miami Heat didn't have with 1.1 seconds left in overtime Tuesday night, a technical foul that gave the Detroit Pistons the tiebreaking free throw.

Malik Beasley made it and the Pistons went on to beat the Heat 123-121 on the opening night of NBA Cup play.

“I made just a serious mental error there at the end,” Spoelstra said. “That’s on me. I feel horrible about it.”

The Heat had a 121-119 lead after Tyler Herro's basket with 1.8 seconds remaining. But after a timeout, the Pistons ran a well-executed inbounds play, with Cade Cunningham throwing a lob pass that Jalen Duren slammed down.

Spoelstra quickly and angrily stormed onto the court and motioned for a timeout.

“There’s really no excuse for that,” Spoelstra said. “I’m 17 years in. We had talked about it in the huddle, I knew that we didn’t have anything. I just got emotional and reactive on that and I made just a horrendous mistake there at the end. It’s a shame.”

Spoelstra has won two NBA championships, was an assistant coach on the U.S. team that won an Olympic gold medal this summer, and was the overwhelming choice of executives who responded in the NBA.com GM Survey as the NBA's best coach, earning 69% of the vote.

But he made a rookie mistake Tuesday that negated a brilliant performance by Herro, who scored 40 points and made 10 3-pointers.

“You don’t want it to come down to a mental error like that,” Spoelstra said, before a lengthy pause. “Yeah, you would have just liked to see this go double overtime. That’s the kind of game it felt like. It deserved to go double OT and not have somebody get in the way of that, and unfortunately even as a veteran coach I got in the way of that.”

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Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra signals from the sideline during the first half of an Emirates NBA Cup basketball game against the Detroit Pistons, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra yells during the first half of an Emirates NBA Cup basketball game against the Detroit Pistons, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)