Amsterdam: Tens of thousands of people from the Netherlands took to the streets of Amsterdam on Sunday wearing red clothing to condemn the ongoing violence against Palestinians in Gaza. Participants in this protest, known as "Red Line," held placards reading "Stop the Genocide," demanding action from the Dutch government against Israel.
Demands of the Protesters
According to the organizers, around 200,000 people participated in this protest. One of the protesters, Steven Eisinger, a 33-year-old robotics engineer from the United States, wearing a red scarf at the protest said: "Stopping the shipment of weapons to Israel" was one of his main demands. He added: "I am Jewish myself and my family lives in Israel. I want to say that I support Palestine and oppose genocide."
Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza
A severe humanitarian crisis continues in the Gaza Strip, with Israeli military attacks being carried out regularly. Additionally, violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank has increased. While other European countries like France and Belgium have recognized the Palestinian government, the Netherlands has yet to take this step. Dutch Prime Minister, Rob Jetten, participated in a similar protest in 2025 but recently stated that "his participation in this protest is currently inappropriate."
In late September, the Dutch government passed a law banning the import of products from occupied Palestinian territories, which are considered illegal under international law. In response to this action, Gideon Sa'ar, Israel's Foreign Minister, revoked the credentials of Dutch diplomats. The Netherlands also announced that it would withdraw from the Eurovision 2027 competition, related to "sensitive" issues regarding Israel's participation in the event.
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