Sea of red fills Amsterdam streets in Gaza protest
A large demonstration by the Dutch “Red Line” movement took place in Amsterdam, with participants demanding tougher sanctions on Israel. Prime Minister Rob Jetten did not attend and defended his government's approach.
Large crowds took to the streets of Amsterdam, the Dutch capital, on Sunday to protest against Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip. The rally was part of the ongoing “Red Line” protest movement in the Netherlands and filled streets closed to traffic, including the area around the Van Gogh Museum. It comes amid continuing tensions between the Netherlands and Israel over the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Protesters waved Palestinian flags and carried placards reading “Not in my name”, “Gaza is being starved” and “Stop the Genocide”. Chants of “Free Palestine” and “Shame on you” rang out, and marchers called on The Hague, the seat of the Dutch government, to take action.
What organisers want
The organisers called for tougher trade sanctions against Israel, an end to arms sales, and official recognition of Israel's actions in Gaza as genocide.
Background
Israel strongly rejects the genocide accusations. It maintains that its military campaign followed the Hamas-led attacks of 7 October 2023, in which around 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage. Israel's subsequent offensive has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and devastated much of the territory. According to Gaza's health ministry, more than 1,550 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since a ceasefire began in October 2025.
Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten joined an earlier Red Line demonstration but did not attend Sunday's march. He defended his government's approach, saying it was stepping up diplomatic pressure on Israel while also urging Hamas to respect security commitments.
