Around 200,000 people gathered in Amsterdam on Sunday to demonstrate against the Dutch government's policy toward Israel, local media reported. It was the latest in a series of so-called red line protests, in which participants wear red and form a line to oppose what they describe as war crimes against Palestinians.
Dutch public broadcaster NOS reported that some individuals on the sidelines of the march carried a sign reading "We Support Hamas." The broadcaster stressed that this position was not shared by the organizers or the wider crowd, and its reporters heard participants shout that they would never support Hamas.
Rolien Sasse, director of Pax, one of the groups behind the demonstration, told Amsterdam broadcaster AT5 before the event that organizers knew pro-Hamas activists might try to take part. AT5 recalled that a pro-Palestinian rally in Amsterdam on October 7, 2023, also included pro-Hamas banners and slogans.
"I don't know, and we never have that completely under control," Sasse said, separating the red line movement from the pro-Hamas demonstrators. "But we absolutely do not want that. But I think there are many, many more people who are in favor of human rights in a very respectful way, and that is what this demonstration is about."
The red line protests began in May 2025 under the organization of the Dutch NGO Oxfam Novib, with the first march drawing roughly 100,000 participants. The movement has expanded since then. Thirteen organizations supported Sunday's gathering, among them Oxfam Novib, Amnesty International, and Save the Children, according to the Dutch English-language outlet NL Times.
Sunday's event marked the fourth red line demonstration in the Netherlands, according to NL Times, which reported that the previous march in October 2025 drew an estimated 250,000 people.
Participants are calling on the Dutch government to take stronger action against Israel over its conduct in the conflict.
One woman attending told NOS she felt compelled to return. "I still believe that the Netherlands is not doing enough. This is already the third time I have taken part in this march," she said. "It probably makes very little difference, but it is the only thing you can do."
