Dutch prime minister to skip COP29 after Amsterdam football violence

Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof will not be attending the COP29 climate summit that starts Monday as he handles the aftermath of violent clashes between football fans in Amsterdam.

The Dutch capital was declared a “high-risk security area” after supporters of Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv football team became embroiled in skirmishes with other fans before and after a match against Dutch team Ajax Thursday night.

Amsterdam’s acting police chief, Peter Holla, confirmed at a press conference on Friday that tensions had started the night before the match as Israeli supporters degraded Palestinian flags in the city center and destroyed a taxi. Maccabi Tel Aviv fans were also seen chanting anti-Arab slogans both in Amsterdam before the game and upon their return to Israel.

“I will not be going to Azerbaijan next week for the U.N. Climate Conference COP29. Due to the major social impact of the events of last Thursday night in Amsterdam, I will remain in the Netherlands,” Schoof wrote on X on Saturday.

The Netherlands will instead be represented by its climate envoy, Jaime Bourbon de Parme, as well as Climate Minister Sophie Hermans.

Other global leaders skipping the COP29 include German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen and France’s Emmanuel Macron. The U.S.’s Joe Biden, Canada’s Justin Trudeau, South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Australia’s Anthony Albanese also have said they won’t be attending what is expected to be a less significant climate summit than past editions.

Following the violence around Thursday’s football match, Schoof met with Israel’s new Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar over the weekend and said that “the Dutch government was doing everything to ensure that the Jewish community in this country feels safe.”

Amsterdam authorities imposed emergency measures on Friday, including a ban on protests and increased police presence. The measures will be in place for “at least this weekend” and until further notice, according to the local authorities.

The violence took place around a Europa League match at Amsterdam’s Johan Cruyff Arena between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Dutch team Ajax. The locals won 5-0.

Schoof said his government this week will be discussing the approach to antisemitism, and the parliament plans to hold “a debate on the events in Amsterdam in the short term.”

On Tuesday, the prime minister said he “will be talking to various Jewish organizations and social organizations about the approach to antisemitism and the unrest and concerns that exist there.”