More than 200,000 people protest in Amsterdam against Israel, demanding an end to arms sales

More than 200,000 people filled the streets of Amsterdam in the Netherlands in a mass protest against Israel’s offensive in Gaza. The rally, held on Sunday under the slogan “Red Line,” centered on demands for concrete measures against Israel from the Dutch government.

According to the Dutch branch of Amnesty International, one of the protest organizers, participants called for stricter trade restrictions on Israel, an end to all arms sales, and sanctions over the war in Gaza.

Protesters, many wearing red clothing and symbols, marched through the city’s main streets, while Museum Square filled with thousands of people. Chants of “Free Palestine” rang out throughout the march.

“What is happening there is inhumane. In my opinion, the Dutch authorities are doing nothing. They don’t have the courage to take serious steps,” said one of the protesters, Mike van Dongen.

Sunday’s protest is part of a series of rallies held in the Netherlands against the Israeli government’s policy in Gaza. The organizers are calling on the authorities to go beyond diplomatic statements and take concrete economic and military measures.

According to reported figures, the war in Gaza since October 2023 has caused at least 74,000 Palestinian deaths, including around 21,000 children. Although a ceasefire agreement took effect on October 10 last year, attacks and killings have continued almost every day.

Relations between the two countries have become significantly strained over the war in Gaza. The new Dutch government, which took office in February, has banned imports of products from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, which are considered illegal by the Netherlands and most of the international community.

The decision prompted reactions from Israel and diplomatic clashes between the two countries. Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, who was not present at Sunday’s protest but had taken part in an earlier march, defended his government’s position.

He said the authorities were exerting greater political and diplomatic pressure on Israel to comply with agreements relating to Gaza. Nevertheless, the massive turnout at the Amsterdam protest shows that a considerable part of Dutch society wants stronger measures against Israel and a change in the country’s policy toward the conflict.