/s3/static.nrc.nl/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/27161411/270926BIN_2036975856_1.jpg "Peace Protest in Amsterdam: Thousands Gather on the Dam Against Militarization")
An estimated 3,000 demonstrators gathered on Amsterdam’s Dam Square on Sunday to protest against what organizers call the Netherlands’ rapid militarization and growing war fever. The demonstration brought together a diverse mix of peace groups, youth unions, and student organizations carrying varied banners, reflecting broad opposition to current European geopolitical strategies regarding the war in Ukraine.
Amsterdam Peace Demonstration Draws Thousands Against European Militarization
Organized by the New Peace Movement, the FNV Young & United youth union, and the Dutch Student Union (LSVb), Sunday’s protest targeted recent political decisions to pump hundreds of millions of euros into defense and weapon arsenals. According to the organizers’ manifest, Dutch politics has become consumed by an escalation mindset that pushes the nation onto a reckless path of military buildup and social decay.
Demonstrators utilized the central Amsterdam square to display contrasting views on the conflict in Ukraine, which faced a full-scale Russian invasion in 2022 following an initial incursion over twelve years ago. While some view Russia as the aggressor under Vladimir Putin, various participants on the Dam expressed alternative perspectives regarding responsibility for the ongoing hostilities.
Diverging Views on the Origins of the Ukraine Conflict
Display screens mounted on flatbed trucks at the center of the square broadcasted messages criticizing NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and questioning Western military support. One displayed text claimed that the European Union and NATO act as aggressors by provoking Russia and endangering lives to benefit the weapons industry.
Demonstrator Karel Beckman, former editor-in-chief of The Other Newspaper, distributed documentation on the square arguing that the West launched a coordinated propaganda campaign against Moscow. Beckman asserted that a peace agreement existed between Ukraine and Russia in 2022 before Western powers dismissed it.
Similarly, Sjoerd de Groot, 28-year-old chairman of the Antifascist Ex-Resistance Fighters Netherlands (AFVN), stated that the history of the conflict did not begin with the Russian invasion on February 24, 2022. De Groot argued that Ukraine initiated attacks against its own population in the Donbas region and that Western geopolitical policies have long sought to balkanize Russia.
Organizational Concerns Over Dutch Defense Spending
The participating organizations contend that political and media figures present the current trajectory of military escalation as an inevitability while dismissing peace advocates as naive or malicious. The rally featured numerous peace symbols alongside flags from various ideological backgrounds, including historical and international banners, as attendees demanded an immediate shift toward diplomatic resolutions and an end to rising defense expenditures in the Netherlands.
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