Arabic version: أكثر من 200 ألف يشاركون في احتجاج «الخط الأحمر» بأمستردام

According to Al Jazeera, more than 200,000 people joined Amsterdam’s “Red Line” protest on Sunday, calling on the Dutch government to take action against Israel’s war on Gaza. Amnesty International’s Dutch branch, one of the organisers, gave the attendance figure.

Many demonstrators wore red clothing and demanded tighter trade restrictions on Israel and an end to all arms sales. The protest carried the theme “No money for genocide” and drew crowds to Museum Square, near the Van Gogh Museum. Marchers also moved along a normally busy Amsterdam street that had been closed to traffic.

Mike van Dongen, walking with the crowd, said the situation in Gaza was “inhumane” and criticised the Dutch authorities. A man at a bus stop used a loudspeaker to shout, “Free, free Palestine!” and many passing marchers echoed the call.

Al Jazeera reported that Israel’s war has killed at least 74,000 Palestinians, including 21,000 children, since October 2023. A ceasefire took effect in Gaza on October 10 last year, but Israeli attacks and killings have continued on an almost-daily basis.

The demonstration followed earlier Red Line protests, including one in early October last year and marches in The Hague last June. Prime Minister Rob Jetten, who joined a march last year but did not attend Sunday’s event, said on Friday that his government was applying greater political and diplomatic pressure on Israel to comply with its Gaza agreements.