Hundreds of people in the Netherlands protest the Iranian government, Mahsa Amini death

Hundreds of people in the Netherlands demonstrated on Saturday against the Iranian government and for women's rights in Iran. They protested in solidarity with the demonstrators in Iran who have taken to the streets to express their anger at the death of Mahsa Amini.

The 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman died after being arrested by the religious police. She had not covered her head according to Iran's rules and thereby violated the dress code in the strict Islamic country.

In Rotterdam a protest on the Stationsplein was organized by Kurdish parties. About 200 people attended, said Farshad Moradian, one of the organizers.

"The protest went well. We want to stand up for the Kurdish people in Iran right now." A number of women "spontaneously set fire to their headscarves out of solidarity." According to the police, that was not the intention, "that's why we asked [the protesters] not to do this anymore," Moradian said.

Dozens of Iranian-Dutch activists at the Tweede Kamer in The Hague felt that the Netherlands should condemn the violence in Iran and the death of Amini. "We want tough measures against the Iranian regime. The Dutch government, together with the European Union, must stand behind the Iranian demonstrators," said Shahin Sultany Taied of the Association of Iranian Academics, one of the initiators of the demonstration in The Hague.

Jong Iraans Nederland chairman Sepiedeh Orafa said in The Hague that Amini's death has been a catalyst, but "the current protests are broader than just her murder."

"People have wanted to get away from this regime for a long time." Banners at the demonstrations displayed texts such as "Death to Khamenei" and "Death to the oppressor." They refer to Iran's supreme spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei, who has represented the highest authority in the country for over 30 years.

Sultany Taied believes it is possible to change the regime this time as long as demonstrations continue. "People are willing to sacrifice their lives for freedom right now," Taied said.

More than 700 people who had taken part in the protests were arrested on Saturday in northern Iran, including 60 women, according to state media. According to these outlets, at least 35 people died in the demonstrations. Human rights groups believe the real number of deaths is higher.

The demonstrators in The Hague want to campaign until Thursday to show their solidarity. They will then go to the Iranian embassy.