Tens of thousands of people marched through Amsterdam on Sunday in a red-themed “Red Line” protest against the Dutch government’s policy toward Israel; organizers and Amnesty International’s Dutch branch put attendance at more than 200,000.

The organizers called for tougher trade sanctions on Israel, an end to arms sales, and an official Dutch declaration that Israel’s actions in Gaza amount to genocide.

Many marchers carried Palestinian and red flags, with signs reading “Free Palestine,” “Stop the Genocide” and “The Netherlands does not support apartheid.”

Protester Steven Eisinger said he supported Palestine despite having family in Israel, while other demonstrators said the government was not doing enough and chanted, “Free, free Palestine!”

Police described the demonstration as largely peaceful, though one group displayed a banner saying, “We support Hamas.”

Police reported no serious incidents, but broadcaster AT5 said officers used batons while arresting a man who refused to leave a bus stop, and passersby became involved.

The protest comes amid strained Dutch-Israeli relations: the Dutch government banned imports from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, prompting Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar to revoke the accreditation of Dutch diplomats.

The Dutch foreign minister resigned last year after failing to secure new sanctions, and the subsequent minority government’s settlement-product ban further fueled the dispute with Israel.

Prime Minister Rob Jetten did not attend Sunday’s march and defended his government’s approach, saying it was increasing political and diplomatic pressure on Israel to honor Gaza agreements while also pressuring Hamas and other groups whose operations endanger Israelis.

The Netherlands has not recognized Palestine, unlike France and Belgium; Jetten, who attended a similar protest as a parliamentary candidate in 2025, said on Friday that joining this march would be inappropriate.

Gaza’s Health Ministry says more than 1,550 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli military since a ceasefire began in October 2025; the ministry does not distinguish civilians from militants and says women and children account for roughly half the deaths.

The ceasefire followed two years of war triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack, but Gaza’s humanitarian crisis and regular Israeli strikes have continued, while settler violence has intensified in the occupied West Bank.