Hundreds of thousands of protesters marched through Amsterdam on Sunday, demanding that the Dutch government take a firmer stance against Israel’s war in Gaza.
Organisers estimated that about 250,000 people participated in the demonstration a figure also supported by local police. Most wore red to symbolise a “red line” against Israel’s ongoing siege of Gaza.
The “Red Line March” followed a similar protest in The Hague in May and had been planned weeks before U.S. President Donald Trump announced his proposal to end the conflict. The organisers, PAX Netherlands, said they hoped for peace in Gaza but added that Trump’s plan had not altered their resolve.
Despite persistent rain, protesters of all ages completed a 6-kilometre march through the Dutch capital, waving Palestinian flags and chanting “Free, free Palestine!” Others carried placards reading “Israel, shame on you!” and “We are not free until Gaza is free.”
“We are here to condemn everything that is happening in Gaza,”said Emilia Rivero, 27, who travelled from the central city of Utrecht. “I feel this is the least we can do, seeing the horrors in Gaza.”
Organisers accused the Dutch government of not doing enough to stop Israel from committing war crimes and urged stronger political action, just weeks before the Netherlands heads to the polls on 29 October for a general election.
“We hope there will be a real ceasefire very soon, that people will be protected, receive humanitarian aid, and be safe,” said Rolien Sasse, Director of PAX Netherlands. “But we are also worried about the long-term commitment of Israel to stop the genocide. We want our government to put pressure on the Israeli government to ensure a ceasefire.”
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Israel has dismissed accusations of genocide as baseless, insisting its operations in Gaza are acts of self-defence targeting Hamas militants responsible for the 7 October 2023 attacks.
Since the May rally, the Dutch government has gradually toughened its stance toward Israel. In July, it imposed travel bans on two far-right Israeli ministers, accusing them of inciting violence and advocating “ethnic cleansing” in Gaza.
Last month, the government also announced plans to ban imports of goods produced in Jewish settlements in Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories and expressed support for the European Commission’s proposal to suspend certain trade benefits under the EU-Israel agreement.
Meanwhile, Geert Wilders, leader of the country’s largest party and known for his anti-Muslim rhetoric, has continued to voice unwavering support for Israel.
