Amsterdam protests against Hanukkah concert with IDF cantor said to be subdued

Anti-Israel protests outside of Amsterdam’s Royal Concert Hall were relatively subdued, after groups threatened to cause trouble outside a series of Hanukkah concerts performed by IDF chief cantor Shai Abramson.

Police allowed no more than 20 protesters outside the theater, known as Concertgebouw, for midday protests, local media reports. Activists carried signs saying, “No stage for genocide” and “The Concertgebouw is occupied.”

A protest at 6 p.m. was allowed to have up to 30 demonstrators outside the concert hall. A larger protest was held at the same time at the nearby Museumplein.

Groups had threatened larger protests against what they call the IDF’s “ongoing genocide” in Gaza.

In early November, the hall, also known as Concertgebouw, said it would cancel the December 14 concert due to Abramson’s appearance on the program. However, after the announcement caused an international uproar, it later reached a compromise with the event’s organizers. While the main concert on Sunday afternoon was held without Abramson’s presence, he did perform at two private concerts later in the evening.