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Antisemitic chants and smoke bombs accompanied protests near Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw on Sunday as Jewish audiences attended Hanukkah concerts inside.
Red and green smoke bombs were set off during demonstrations near the venue and at nearby Museumplein, where Israeli cantor Shai Abramson was scheduled to perform at private, invitation-only Hanukkah concerts. Police deployed in large numbers as protests unfolded under court-imposed restrictions.
Several hundred anti-Israel demonstrators gathered at Museumplein, according to Dutch media reports. Protesters waved Palestinian flags and shouted slogans accusing Jews of having “blood on your hands” and labeling Israelis as “child murderers.” Authorities warned demonstrators to remain behind fencing erected to separate protests from the concert area.
When some protesters attempted to breach the barriers, police reinforced the perimeter. Officers later confirmed that multiple arrests were made for violating protest rules.
Jewish Cultural Event Placed Under Restrictions
Earlier in the day and again in the early evening, courts permitted limited, tightly-controlled protests near the Concertgebouw. Police enforced strict caps on demonstrator numbers and required silence near the building.
Despite these restrictions, demonstrators briefly blocked an entrance to the Concertgebouw during a public family Hanukkah performance held in the afternoon. The blockade lasted approximately 20 minutes before police intervened and some protesters moved on to Museumplein. Others were arrested.
The afternoon concert proceeded without Abramson. Two private Hanukkah performances featuring the cantor were scheduled for later that evening and took place under heightened security.
WATCH: Free Palestine supporters angrily try to force their way into a Chanukah celebration in Amsterdam, not even 24 hours after Jews were massacred at a Chanukah celebration in Australia. pic.twitter.com/8GhPiwrPF8
— Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) December 14, 2025
Jewish Leaders Condemn Harassment
Chanan Hertzberger, chairman of the Central Jewish Council of the Netherlands, condemned the protests and their timing.
“Abramson sings songs; he’s not accused of crimes against humanity,” Hertzberger said. “He was here in 2023, too. I think it’s presumptuous to demonstrate now. This is simply harassing the Jewish community.”
When asked why protesters targeted a family Hanukkah event in which Abramson did not appear, one demonstrator responded, “He’ll be there soon. We’re against genocide.”
Pressure Campaign Forced Venue Compromise
Abramson’s participation in the Hanukkah concerts had sparked controversy ahead of the event due to his performances at Israel Defense Forces ceremonies. The Concertgebouw initially canceled the concerts before reversing course following legal action and negotiations.
Under the final arrangement, Abramson was barred from public performances at the venue and allowed to sing only at private evening concerts.
Authorities Warned of Elevated Risk
Ahead of the demonstrations, Israel’s National Center for Combating Antisemitism warned that the planned protests posed a “high risk level,” citing online activity suggesting a turnout of several hundred demonstrators. The protests proceeded with police permits.
A small group of pro-Israel supporters later gathered nearby, where Chief Rabbi Binyomin Jacobs led a brief Hanukkah service before the group dispersed.
Targeting Jewish Life, With Official Permission
The protests in Amsterdam cannot be explained as opposition to Israeli policy. No Israeli officials were present. No government decisions were under discussion. The focal point was a Hanukkah celebration.
What makes this especially troubling is that authorities allowed the demonstrations to proceed during Hanukkah itself, despite the well-documented reality that such protests routinely feature antisemitic rhetoric and have increasingly served as precursors to intimidation and violence against Jews. Only hours earlier, 15 Jews were murdered in a terrorist attack at a Hanukkah menorah-lighting ceremony near Sydney, Australia.
Warnings had already been issued about elevated risk in Amsterdam. Yet protests were still permitted to surround a Jewish religious event, placing Jewish families behind police lines as they marked a holiday central to their identity.
Allowing demonstrations under these circumstances sends a dangerous message: that Jewish religious observance is a legitimate stage for political hostility, even when that hostility repeatedly manifests as antisemitism. When officials tolerate protests that predictably devolve into hate — especially during a Jewish holiday — they are not maintaining neutrality. They are enabling the targeting of Jewish life.
This is how antisemitism is normalized in public space: not only through slogans and smoke bombs, but through official decisions that prioritize the right to protest over the right of Jews to celebrate their faith without fear.
Take Action
CAM has launched Report It — a secure app to report antisemitic incidents anonymously and in real time. Don’t stay silent — download it today on the Apple Store or Google Play. See it. Report it. Stop it. Together, we can fight this hate.
