Hundreds of thousands of protesters marched through Amsterdam on Sunday, calling for the Dutch government to take a tougher stance against Israel’s war in Gaza, Reuters reported.

Organisers estimated that around 250,000 people joined the demonstration – a figure supported by local police. Most wore red to signal their support for a symbolic “red line” against Israel’s siege of Gaza.

Protesters of all ages weathered the rain to join a 6-kilometre (3.7 miles) march through the Dutch capital, waving Palestinian flags, chanting “Free, free Palestine” and carrying signs reading “Israel shame on you!” and “we are not free until Gaza is free”.

“We are here to condemn everything that is happening in Gaza,” said 27-year old Emilia Rivero, who travelled from the central city of Utrecht. “I feel this is the least we can do, seeing the horrors in Gaza.”

Organisers said the Dutch government was not doing enough to stop Israel from committing war crimes in Gaza and demanded action from politicians, just over three weeks before the Netherlands heads to the polls for a general election on October 29.

“We hope there will be a real ceasefire very, very soon and people will be protected, receive humanitarian aid, and be able to be safe. But we are also worried about the long-term commitment of Israel to stop the genocide,” PAX Netherlands director Rolien Sasse told Reuters.

“We want our government to put pressure on the Israeli government, to make sure that there is a ceasefire.”

Israel dismisses accusations of genocide as baseless and says its operations in Gaza are self-defence and targeted at Hamas fighters who attacked Israel on October 7, 2023.