Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators flooded the streets of The Hague on Sunday in a sea of red, demanding urgent action from the Dutch government and international bodies to end Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza. Organized by major humanitarian organizations including Amnesty International, Oxfam Novib, Save the Children, and Doctors Without Borders, the protest created a symbolic “red line” around the city’s center, a visual rebuke to what organizers called the Dutch government’s failure to draw a moral and political line against mass atrocities.
Protesters, many waving Palestinian flags and chanting “Stop the Genocide,” marched a 5-kilometer loop encircling The Hague. The march passed landmarks including the Peace Palace, home to the International Court of Justice, which is currently hearing a genocide case filed by South Africa against Israel over its military campaign in Gaza. Demonstrators wore red clothing to represent the bloodshed in Gaza and the urgent need to halt what rights groups have increasingly described as genocidal violence.
“The Dutch cabinet still refuses to draw a red line. That is why we do it, for as long as necessary,” said Marjon Rozema of Amnesty International Netherlands in a statement. Organizers described the protest as the largest in the Netherlands in two decades, with estimates ranging from 100,000 to over 150,000 people in attendance. Oxfam Novib director Michiel Servaes stated that “more than 150,000 people” were demanding “concrete sanctions to stop the genocide in Gaza.”
The mass demonstration came as the death toll in Gaza surpassed 55,300 people, according to the territory’s Health Ministry. While the ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants, it reports that the majority of the dead are women and children. Israel claims to have killed more than 20,000 militants but has not provided supporting evidence. The war, now over 20 months long, began after Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing approximately 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. As of Sunday, 53 hostages remain in captivity, fewer than half of them confirmed alive.
“I don’t want to be complicit in these horrendous crimes happening there and I want to speak out,” said protester Marin Koning, who joined the massive red-clad march through the city. As demonstrators made their way past the International Court of Justice, many expressed frustration that governments—especially those in Europe—have failed to enforce international rulings or halt the war despite mounting evidence of mass civilian harm.
This was the second such protest in The Hague in four weeks. As with the first, Sunday’s action focused heavily on the lack of concrete government intervention. “While there is much frustration about the lack of action, protesters here say the focus should remain on the continuing genocide in Gaza despite Israel’s efforts to distract attention,” reported Al Jazeera’s Step Vaessen from the scene.
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof acknowledged the “unprecedented” public pressure in a social media statement, writing, “The Netherlands remains committed to stopping the violence and ending the humanitarian blockade. We are constantly looking at how we can be most effective with our efforts, both in front of and behind the scenes, to improve the situation on the ground.” Addressing the protesters directly, he added, “To all those people in The Hague, I say: ‘We see you and we hear you.’ Our goal is ultimately the same: to end the suffering in Gaza as soon as possible.”
But human rights groups say that statements are not enough. The Dutch government, which is currently operating under a caretaker status following the collapse of its four-party ruling coalition, has yet to take definitive action—such as imposing sanctions or suspending arms exports. The protest’s organizers demanded immediate political measures, including efforts to pressure the European Union to reassess its ties with Israel.
“The Dutch government must act now, at both the national and international level, to increase the pressure on the Israeli government,” Rozema stated.
Sunday’s demonstration was part of a broader international wave of protests. In neighboring Belgium, approximately 75,000 people joined a similar “red line” protest in Brussels. Large rallies were also reported in Turkiye, Brazil, and Greece, each echoing the call for a ceasefire and for Western governments to hold Israel accountable under international law.
Salih el Saddy, a medical doctor protesting in The Hague, told Al Jazeera that the images from Gaza have deeply impacted healthcare professionals. “As a doctor, it’s very painful to watch,” he said, referring to the humanitarian collapse and destruction of Gaza’s medical infrastructure.
The symbolic red line carried added weight due to its proximity to the ICJ, where the genocide case initiated by South Africa continues to unfold. In a provisional ruling last year, the court ordered Israel to take all necessary measures to prevent genocide. Despite that ruling, the humanitarian toll in Gaza has only increased, with ongoing reports of blocked aid, hospital bombings, and strikes on refugee camps.
While Israel denies that it is violating international law, growing numbers of legal experts and human rights organizations have characterized its conduct as amounting to war crimes or even genocide. Sunday’s protest in The Hague sought to not only affirm solidarity with Palestinians but also to pressure institutions—domestic and international—to enforce accountability.
The demonstration also took place in a moment of broader geopolitical instability. Protesters voiced concern that Israel’s recent military attacks on Iran risk drawing international focus away from Gaza. Al Jazeera’s Vaessen reported that demonstrators were clear in their intent to keep the spotlight on Gaza, despite Israel’s expanding military operations in the region.
In response to the widening conflict, European Union foreign ministers scheduled an emergency video meeting to discuss diplomatic outreach to Tel Aviv and Tehran. The EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas’s office said, “We will continue to contribute to all diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions and to find a lasting solution to the Iranian nuclear issue which can only be through a negotiated deal.”
As international leaders deliberate next steps behind closed doors, hundreds of thousands of civilians in cities like The Hague are choosing to draw the lines their governments have not. And they are doing it in red.
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