Controversial banners supporting militant groups at recent Amsterdam protests have sparked intense scrutiny and political fallout across the Netherlands, as reported by Nieuw Rechts.
The controversy centers on a small group of activists, including Laleh Almarjani and an anonymous woman, who carried banners bearing slogans such as ‘We support Hamas’ and ‘Victory to Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran’ during public demonstrations. The anonymous woman first appeared with her banner on September 17 at a demonstration on Dam Square, and later returned on October 7 to mark three years since the attacks, GeenStijl reported.
Almarjani stated a broader backing for armed struggle during interviews with the press. “Ik steun elke groep en elke beweging die strijdt tegen de bezetting van Palestina“, said Almarjani.
Groups Distance Themselves From Militant Banners
Organizers of the large Rode Lijn demonstration on November 8, which drew roughly 200,000 participants to protest Israeli actions in Gaza and Dutch government policy, moved swiftly to separate their movement from the activists. Amnesty International director Dagmar Oudshoorn rejected any connection to the banners. “Het was een eigenstandige demonstratie. Dat ze bij ons zouden horen, is een kwaadaardig frame”, Oudshoorn told Nieuw Rechts.
Medhat Alamawi of the Palestijnse Gemeenschap Nederland also took distance from the banners. He said that organizers repeatedly asked the activists to remove their signs during earlier protests, but to no avail.
Legal and Academic Pushback Against Comparisons
Activists at the November 8 demonstration near Leidseplein displayed banners questioning the definition of terrorism and placing figures like Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar alongside Dutch resistance fighters Hannie Schaft and Anton de Kom.
Joas Wagemakers, an islamologist at Utrecht University, dismissed the comparison between militant groups and historical resistance figures. “Verzet zegt iets over de inhoud. En terrorisme over de vorm”, Wagemakers told Nieuw Rechts, explaining that targeting civilians invalidates claims to legitimate resistance.
Kyra Wigard, a lecturer in international criminal law, added that the Palestinian right to self-determination does not legalize all forms of armed combat. The intentional targeting of civilians and the taking of hostages remain strictly prohibited under the laws of war, Wigard told Nieuw Rechts.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Amsterdam Protests
Which militant groups did the activists endorse on their banners?
The activists expressed explicit support for Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Marxist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), all of which appear on the European terrorism list, Nieuw Rechts reported.
How large was the main demonstration where the militant banners appeared?
Amnesty International reported that approximately 200,000 people participated in the Rode Lijn march in Amsterdam on November 8, according to Nieuw Rechts.
What specific dates did the activists display their banners in public?
The anonymous activist first appeared with a ‘We support Hamas’ banner on September 17, returned on October 7 for the anniversary of the attacks, and later joined about ten masked activists with fakkels and colored smoke near Leidseplein on November 8, Nieuw Rechts and GeenStijl reported.
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