After the huge protest in The Hague: Student voices and political silences in the Dutch response to the Israel-Gaza conflict

Protests in The Hague © Karina Karagyoz

More than 150,000 protesters filled the streets of The Hague last Sunday to express their opposition to the ongoing war in Gaza and criticism towards the Dutch government’s reaction to the conflict. Many of them were students, coming from different parts of the country and marking one of the largest rallies held in the Netherlands in recent times.

The protesters wore red clothes to symbolise the urgency of actions and demonstrate empathy, forming the second ‘red line’ protest for this year. The turnout exceeded the number of participants during the first one held in May.

The crowd walked a five-kilometer loop through the city center, using Malieveld as a starting and ending point. “It’s great, it’s amazing that we came in together here and we show that we care,” said Ornella, a Greek student currently living in the Netherlands. “We are here to spread awareness.”

1-minute reportage on the 'Red Line' protest © Karina Karagyoz

Since October 2023, the conflict has led to significant civilian casualties and widespread destruction. drawing international attention and opening up discussions over humanitarian responsibilities and foreign policies across many countries in the world. The protest in The Hague is part of a growing wave of civil mobilizations across the Netherlands, responding to the Dutch politicians’ decisions. Prior to the government collapse, major parties had voted against a motion to send humanitarian aid to Gaza, proposed in May.

Results from the motion voted by Dutch parties © Karina Karagyoz

Students and young people constituted a visible portion of the turnout. “We feel so powerless, and we do whatever we can right now, we are here to at least share our voices,” says Roberto, who had traveled with his best friend Radu. They share how empowering it feels for them to belong to this event.

Despite the turnout, some of the demonstrators remain uncertain about the influence they exert in reality. Osman, another protester from Turkey, who has lived in the Netherlands for years with his family, was holding a sign throughout the entire march. “These people, here around us, they are beautiful people. But we have to push very hard to get attention.”

Osman protesting © Karina Karagyoz

Another protester, Alexandra, expresses similar concerns. “Maybe it isn’t changing anything but I’m here for myself,” she says. “Even if my friends wouldn’t come I would come alone, as for me it is really the red line.”

The contrast between the urgency shown on the demonstration and the relative conscious reactions from several Dutch parties sparks various debates within the Dutch society. To understand why Dutch parties are either changing their stances or denying to take a clear one, The Glass Room contacted Professor Kees Aarts, a political scientist at the University of Groningen.

Protests in The Hague © Karina Karagyoz

“There were about 14 parties in the last parliament. The largest one had about 25 percent of the vote. This indicates a significant fragmentation in the country,” he says in his explanation how the large number of parties complicates the decision-making process for foreign policies.

According to Professor Aarts, foreign politics are a complex topic for Dutch parties to handle since they have never been a factor in winning elections. “It has become so big over the past two and a half years now, that parties cannot simply be silent about what's going on. However, there is a huge spectrum of actions that political parties can take. For some parties, simply being critical and threatening to not continue collaborations with Israel is a major step. For others, that is not enough. People have different views on what should be done now.”

As political discussions continue, student action in cities like Groningen endures. The organisation “Groningen for Palestine” (GFP) formed a group for those who wanted to participate in Sunday's protest, drawing students and residents into the streets of The Hague. 

GFP has been active before the events from three years ago and hosted a range of events, from protests to cultural gatherings, such as movie screenings. “There are a lot of other groups now within Groningen. Before, there were maybe two or three groups focusing on Palestine,” said a GFP representative, reflecting on the increased engagement in the city. 

Amid the growing organisations' system in Groningen, there are organisations targeted to both Dutch-speaking residents and internationals. GFP's community contains to a large extent people who used to or are currently studying at the University of Groningen, and disseminates information about their initiatives through social media, including Facebook or Instagram.

Student activism related to the Israel-Gaza conflict does not remain isolated and has spread in various Dutch cities. The following interactive timeline reveals the student-led demonstrations that took place on Dutch university campuses this year in solidarity with Palestine. Most of the demonstrations demanded an end to ties with Israeli institutions.

Timeline of student-led demonstrations © Karina Karagyoz

However, communities have to face challenges. GFP's representative says that organising events within university spaces represented an increasingly complicated process. “Before, we used to organise things in the university, but every year it got more and more difficult. They kept putting more and more restrictions on us, and saying that it's part of the rules.”

The reach of the movement appears to be expanding beyond young groups. During the protest on Sunday, Alexandra as a protestor observed an increase in elderly participation. “These are people who say, ‘We haven’t joined a protest for so many years, but now we are coming back on the street, we need to,’ and that makes me happy.”

Protests in The Hague © Karina Karagyoz

Although the future of the conflict and Dutch politics remains unclear, the demonstrators revealed that they are ready to participate in more protests, hoping each one will be bigger and more influential than the last.