Demonstrators including one with a Palestinian flag gather at Museumplein for a "Red Line" protest demanding "government action to stop the genocide in Gaza" with the Van Gogh Museum in the background in Amsterdam on October 5, 2025. (Photo by Ramon van Flymen / ANP / AFP)
Amsterdam: Tens of thousands of Dutch protesters marched through Amsterdam on Sunday, calling for an end to Israel's war in Gaza and demanding their government recognise a Palestinian state.
The mass demonstration added to others held in other European countries over the weekend, including in Italy, Spain and Ireland on Saturday.
The Dutch marchers -- numbering around 250,000 according to organisers -- yelled "Stop the genocide" and "Free Palestine".
One protester, Sebastiaan Poos, 68, said he wanted his government to impose sanctions on Israel, "stop trade, and recognise the Palestinian state".
"I'm deeply ashamed, deeply ashamed for the government, the stance they are taking," he said.
The Netherlands has not recognised Palestinian statehood, unlike France, Spain, Ireland, Britain and other European countries.
