At a large demonstration against Israel in the Dutch capital Amsterdam, participants openly expressed their support for the terrorist organization Hamas on Sunday. Masked demonstrators displayed banners bearing the English inscription “We support Hamas”. The rally was part of the so-called “Red Line” protests, through which numerous organizations are demanding a toughening of Dutch policy toward Israel.
A banner reading “We support Hamas” along the demonstration route in Amsterdam on November 8, 2026. Photo: EPA/SEM VAN DER WAL.
According to the organizers, more than 200,000 people took part in the demonstration. The participants, many of whom wore red clothing, gathered at Museumplein and then marched through the city. It was already the fourth major demonstration of the “Red Line” movement and the second in Amsterdam.
Along the demonstration route, several masked activists openly displayed their solidarity with Hamas. The organizers, however, emphasized that the rally was primarily intended to advocate for the rights of Palestinians.
The organizers called on the Dutch government to impose stricter trade sanctions against Israel, to halt weapons deliveries, and to increase political and economic pressure on the Jewish state. Organizations involved included Amnesty International, Oxfam Novib, and Save the Children. The organizers also demanded that the Dutch government officially classify Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip as genocide. Israel firmly rejects this accusation.
The Hamas supporters did not necessarily represent the views of the other demonstrators. However, publicly supporting a terrorist organization is fundamentally different from political criticism of the Israeli government.
Open support for Hamas already in October
It was not the first time that Hamas had been publicly promoted at a demonstration in Amsterdam. As early as October 11, 2026, masked participants at a pro-Palestinian rally at Dam Square displayed a large green banner reading “We support Hamas.” The demonstration marked the conclusion of a nationwide week of action in which various organizations called for sanctions against Israel.
Masked demonstrators display a banner reading “We support Hamas” at Dam Square in Amsterdam on October 11, 2026. Photo: EPA/KOEN VAN WEEL.
The reappearance of Hamas banners at the large demonstration on November 8 shows that such displays of solidarity have been repeatedly seen in public in Amsterdam.
Growing tensions between Israel and the Netherlands
The renewed large-scale demonstration is taking place against a backdrop of strained relations between Israel and the Netherlands. The Dutch government had imposed an import ban on products from Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria at the end of September. Israel responded with diplomatic countermeasures. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar subsequently withdrew the accreditation of Dutch diplomats.
Prime Minister Rob Jetten, who had attended an earlier “Red Line” movement demonstration the previous year, did not attend Sunday’s rally. He stated that participation in his current role as head of government would be inappropriate. At the same time, he defended his government’s diplomatic stance toward Israel.
According to Dutch police, the demonstration was largely peaceful. A total of four people were arrested, including for lacking identity documents and an incident involving a police officer. No direct connection between the arrests and the Hamas banners was reported.
However, the openly displayed support for Hamas once again made clear that among the participants of the broad protest movement there are also activists who explicitly express solidarity with the terrorist organization.
A distinction must be drawn between criticism of Israeli government policy, which formed the main concern of the organizers, and the public support of a terrorist organization. Hamas is designated as a terrorist organization by the European Union.
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