Two people have reported assault after the riots in the AZ stadium last Thursday. According to a spokesman, these are ‘Dutchmen’ and they were slightly injured. Two possible suspects of the disturbances have already reported to the station.
They are currently being heard by the criminal investigation department about that evening on Ascension Day, after the game of the Alkmaar football club against West Ham United. It was the return of the Conference League semi-final.
During the day it was already restless with hooligan fights in Alkmaar, but it is also grim in the stadium during the match. After the whistle, dozens of people, presumably supporters of AZ, break through the fence and brawl with supporters of West Ham United.
The images go all over the world. Yet no one was arrested that evening itself, because the police say they chose to first ensure safety and de-escalation. So this morning two men reported to the police.
‘Interrogated by the detective’
“The detective is now talking to them,” says a spokesman. At the moment, he is not making any statements about the age and place of residence of the two.
Tomorrow evening, photos of suspects will also be shown at Opsporing Requested. These are circulating videos, but also images from the cameras in the stadium itself. “All the people we are looking for are suspected of open violence and violence in association against persons or goods. You can conclude from the images that this is the case,” said the spokesperson.
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There is criticism of the police intervention: people who were in the stadium tell NH that the mobile unit ‘not until late’ came into action. “They had been pulling that fence for a long time and you saw what the intention was. It seems to me that this is a signal to take action,” said an Alkmaar supporter.
The spokesman for the police also wants to mention what he thinks are the punishments for these suspicions. “Up to 4.5 years in prison. And in case of physical injury, this can be up to six years.”
The two people who were slightly injured have therefore reported assault. A spokesperson could not yet say where exactly they come from, only that it is not about ‘English people’ but about ‘Dutch people’.