Hundreds of thousands join Amsterdam's 'Red Line' protest against Israel

More than 200,000 people took to the streets of Amsterdam on Sunday, demanding stronger government action against Israel's war on Gaza, according to the Dutch branch of Amnesty International, one of the protest organisers.

Many demonstrators wore red clothing as they joined the 'Red Line' march, calling for tighter trade restrictions on Israel and an end to all arms sales.

"What is happening there is inhumane," Mike van Dongen said as he walked among the crowds.

"As far as I'm concerned, [the Dutch authorities] are doing nothing," he said. "They don't dare take any serious steps."

As protesters marched along a major Amsterdam street closed to traffic for the demonstration, a man standing at a bus stop shouted "Free, free Palestine!" through a loudspeaker. Many marchers echoed his call as they passed.

At least 74,000 killed in Gaza

Israel's war on Gaza has killed at least 74,000 Palestinians, including 21,000 children, since October 2023.

Sunday's demonstration followed a similar protest in early October last year and the 'Red Line' marches held in The Hague in June.

A ceasefire took effect in Gaza on October 10 last year, but Israeli attacks and killings have continued almost daily since then.

The war has strained relations between the Netherlands and Israel. The Dutch foreign minister resigned last year after failing to secure new sanctions against Israel.

A new minority coalition government took office in February and introduced an import ban on products from Israeli settlements, which the Dutch government and most of the international community consider illegal. The move triggered a diplomatic dispute with Israel.

Prime Minister Rob Jetten, who joined a march last year but was absent on Sunday, defended his government's response at his weekly news conference on Friday.

"Every single day and every single week, we do what we can to alleviate the terrible situation there," he said.

He added that his administration was "exerting greater political and diplomatic pressure" on Israel to honour its commitments on Gaza.

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Source: AP, Al Jazeera