Eight people have been arrested after riot police broke up violent protests by Ajax fans against a police strike that prevented their weekend match from going ahead.

Hundreds of hardcore supporters gathered on Leidseplein on Sunday afternoon after acting mayor Marjolein Moorman ordered the match in Amsterdam against Utrecht to be postponed, on the advice of the police.

Fireworks were let off, police vehicles and bicycles were attacked and a group of fans vandalised the city’s police headquarters on Elandsgracht. Officers in riot gear drove the crowd back with baton charges and made eight arrests.

“Despite receiving several warnings a group continued to seek a confrontation,” a spokesman said via social media channel X, better known as Twitter.

Ondanks vele waarschuwingen blijft een groep de confrontatie zoeken. De mobiele eenheid voert nu charges uit om deze groep te verdrijven.

— Politie Eenheid Amsterdam (@POL_Amsterdam) September 15, 2024

The demonstration was organised by fans’ group Ajax Supporters Delegatie after the club’s last two games, including the Klassieker against Feyenoord in Rotterdam a week earlier, had to be postponed because of the police strike.

“Partly because of these strikes we have fallen behind in the league and will have to catch up by playing the matches on unsuitable days and times.”

“Unacceptable”

A police spokesman said the fans’ behaviour was “unacceptable, disappointing and utterly unnecessary”, while Moorman, who is standing in for city mayor Femke Halsema, said: “This group of so-called supporters do a disservice to football and Ajax.”

The police unions announced a month ago that they would not be providing cover for selected weekend Eredivisie matches as part of their ongoing campaign for an early retirement scheme.

The current arrangement, which allows officers to retire three years early, is ending in 2025 and the government has not come up with a replacement.

Social affairs minister Eddy van Hijum has earmarked money to allow people in physically demanding professions to retire early, but police unions said last week there were “insufficient signs from the government that they are working at speed on an adequate early pension scheme.”