More than 200,000 people took to the streets of Amsterdam on Sunday for a 'Red Line' demonstration pressing the Dutch government to act against Israel over the war in Gaza, according to the Dutch branch of Amnesty International, one of the organisers.
Many marchers wore red items of clothing as they moved along a normally busy city street that had been closed to traffic for the day. The crowd called for tighter trade restrictions on Israel and a complete halt to all arms sales, demanding action against what the organisers described as a genocidal war.
Among those walking in the huge throng was Mike van Dongen, who voiced frustration with the authorities' response. "What is happening there is inhumane," he said. "As far as I'm concerned, [the Dutch authorities] are doing nothing. They don't dare take any serious steps."
Along the route, a man stood at a bus stop with a loudspeaker shouting, "Free, free Palestine!" Many of the marchers echoed his cry as they passed.
The war has killed at least 74,000 Palestinians, including 21,000 children, since October 2023. A "ceasefire" took effect in Gaza on October 10 last year, but Israeli attacks and killings have continued on an almost daily basis since then.
Sunday's protest was similar to one held in early October last year, and it followed 'Red Line' demonstrations last June, when protesters marched through the streets of The Hague.
The war has strained relations between the Netherlands and Israel. The Dutch foreign minister resigned last year after failing to secure new sanctions against Israel. A new minority coalition government then took power in February and introduced an import ban on products from Israeli settlements, which the Dutch government and most of the international community consider illegal. The ban provoked a diplomatic spat with Israel.
Prime Minister Rob Jetten, who took part in a march last year but was not present on Sunday, defended his government's actions at his weekly news conference on Friday.
"Every single day and every single week, we do what we can to alleviate the terrible situation there," Jetten said. He added that his administration is "exerting greater political and diplomatic pressure" on Israel to abide by its agreements on Gaza.
