DUTCH MEDIA ON GLORIFICATION OF HITLER IN SPLIT: "HORRIFYING!"

AMSTERDAM, OCTOBER 15 /SRNA/ – Dutch sports website VoetbalPrimeur has published an article about the scandalous behaviour of Hajduk Split fans, highlighting the chilling antisemitic and Nazi slogans that echoed through the streets of Split.

"Hajduk’s most hardcore supporters showed themselves in the worst possible light tonight," the website reported, noting that home fans chanted horrific slogans such as "Crush the Jews," "Auschwitz" and "Get up, Adolf!" as they made their way to the stadium. The Dutch website noted that a car carrying a coffin bearing the name of football club Ajax was seen at the head of the supporters’ procession. Fans later kicked the coffin and smashed it in the street. The website also reported a statement from Split police, who confirmed that an investigation had been launched to identify and prosecute individuals who chanted slogans punishable by law. The article adds that tensions had been running high in Split for days and that local hooligans had been deliberately searching for Ajax supporters around the city. The Dutch fans had even been advised to spend as much time as possible confined to their hotel rooms. Split was under heavy police surveillance ahead of this evening’s football match between Hajduk and Ajax following several days of clashes that culminated in large-scale disturbances on the Riva waterfront last night. Around 500 fans clashed there, and more than 200 police officers were needed to bring the mass brawl under control. Fifty-seven people were detained, and some Dutch troublemakers have already been swiftly sentenced to seven days in prison and given a two-year ban from approaching Poljud Stadium and the Riva waterfront. Today, as they marched towards Poljud, Hajduk fans chanted slogans referring to Auschwitz and Hitler and sang verses about "blast furnaces" and the burning of Jews.