The demonstration, part of the nation’s ongoing “Red Line” protest movement, attracted large crowds onto streets normally prohibited to traffic, including the vicinity of the Van Gogh Museum. Participants waved Palestinian flags and carried placards such as “Not in my name”, “Gaza is being starved” and “Stop the Genocide”. Chants of “Free Palestine” and “Shame on you” resonated through the gathering, while demonstrators called on institutions to take decisive action. Organisers urged stricter trade sanctions against Israel, a halt to arms sales and official recognition of Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide.
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The protest occurs against a backdrop of escalating tensions between the Netherlands and Israel over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Israel firmly rejects calls that its actions constitute genocide, arguing that its military campaign was a response to the Hamas‑led attacks on 7 October 2023, which resulted in roughly 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages.
Israel’s subsequent offensive has claimed tens of thousands of Palestinian lives and laid waste to much of the territory. According to Gaza’s health ministry, more than 1,550 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the October 2025 ceasefire.
Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, who took part in an earlier Red Line demonstration but was absent from this Sunday’s march, defended his government’s stance, stating that the actions are meant to increase diplomatic pressure on Israel while also urging Hamas to adhere to its security commitments.