Rival Iran war demonstrations in The Hague draw hundreds, police keep groups apart

A few hundred people gathered Saturday afternoon on Malieveld to protest the war in Iran, while more than 100 counterdemonstrators gathered nearby on Bezuidenhoutseweg in support of military action against Iran’s current government, prompting a strong police presence that kept the groups separated. At the same time, another group on the opposite side of Malieveld marked the birthday of detained former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.

De Nieuwe Vredesbeweging, a pacifist platform, organized the anti-war demonstration on Malieveld. Participants urged the Dutch government to support de-escalation and diplomacy rather than war.

The group also sought to pressure the government to, following Spain’s example, explicitly condemn the war. Organizers further called on the Netherlands to press Israel and the United States to immediately stop their attack and comply with international law.

Among the demonstrators, a reporter saw Iranian flags and a single Palestinian flag. Speakers from the organizing platform emphasized that the protest did not represent support for either government. “We are not here for one regime or the other,” was stated from the stage.

On Bezuidenhoutseweg, more than 100 opponents of Iran’s current government gathered separately. They called for a change of regime and expressed support for military action to achieve that outcome. Israeli flags were also visible among the group. “The current regime has killed thousands of people,” said one female demonstrator. “We support the military actions of the US and Israel.”

Police deployed vans, bicycles, and mounted units, positioning themselves between the two demonstrations and blocking identifiable counterdemonstrators from reaching Malieveld. Authorities intervened in isolated cases.

Around 2:15 p.m., the pacifist group began a march through central The Hague. As they departed Malieveld, the group had grown significantly, according to a reporter.

Counterdemonstrators became increasingly vocal at the start of the march, and brief tensions emerged. Police presence prevented the two sides from making contact. After roughly 45 minutes, the anti-war demonstrators returned to Malieveld, again amid loud reactions from both groups. By about 3:15 p.m., most pacifist participants had left the area.