Tens of thousands of people dressed in red filled the streets of Amsterdam on Sunday to protest the ongoing violence against Palestinians in Gaza. Participants carried signs that read “Stop the Genocide” during the demonstration, which organizers stated was attended by some 20,000 people.
The "red line" protest was organized to demand that the Dutch government take action against Israel. One participant, 33-year-old robotics engineer Steven Eisinger, who is originally from the United States, told Agence France-Presse that he wanted to say, “Stop sending weapons to Israel.” Eisinger, who wore a red scarf, noted, “I’m Jewish myself, I have family that’s actually in Israel, living, and I wanted to really say, look I support Palestine and I’m anti-genocide.”
The protest comes as a humanitarian crisis continues in Gaza despite a fragile ceasefire between Hamas and Israel that began in October of last year. That ceasefire followed two years of war sparked by the October 7, 2023, attack by the Islamist militant movement on Israel. Additionally, settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank has intensified.
The Netherlands has not recognized the state of Palestine, distinguishing it from other European nations like France and Belgium. Prime Minister Rob Jetten, who previously attended a similar protest as a parliamentary candidate in 2025, told reporters on Friday that it would now be “inappropriate” for him to participate.
Recent tensions between the two nations have escalated following a ban by the Dutch government at the end of September on products from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, which are considered illegal under international law. In response, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar revoked the accreditation of Dutch diplomats. Furthermore, the Netherlands has withdrawn from the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest, with public broadcaster NPO citing the “sensitive” issue of Israel’s participation.
