Hamas-Linked Group Organizes Amsterdam Protest With Anti-Western Slogans
PGNL will hold a demonstration in Amsterdam under the banner "From the belly of the beast, hands off the Middle East" — the organization allegedly helped organize attacks against Israeli soccer fans
The Palestinian Community in the Netherlands (PGNL) announced on March 10 that it will hold a pro-Palestinian protest on Sunday, March 15, in Amsterdam. The Facebook invitation features the slogan “From the belly of the beast, hands off the Middle East,” language that characterizes Western nations as adversaries and echoes anti-imperialist rhetoric common in Hamas-linked activist networks.
PGNL has a history of alleged ties to a Hamas-linked network in Europe. The organization was previously led by Amin Abu-Rashid, a designated Hamas official who was arrested by Dutch authorities in mid-2023 on charges of transferring funds to Hamas. Following his arrest, Ayman Nejmeh assumed leadership of the organization.
Network of Hamas Operatives in Europe
Nejmeh was featured in a November 2024 exposé by the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) as an administrator of PGNL’s instant messaging groups. According to a report by the European Leadership Network (ELNET), PGNL forms part of a broader Hamas-affiliated network across Europe.
ELNET documented that PGNL organized numerous pro-Hamas protests in the Netherlands and hosted high-profile Hamas events, including a 2007 video conference with former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and a 2016 event honoring Hamas founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin.
On his Facebook profile, Nejmeh previously identified himself as a former teacher with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), though he has since removed this affiliation. He has posted pro-Hamas content, including images of terrorists from Hamas’s al-Qassam Brigades.
Amsterdam Pogrom and Coordinated Violence
PGNL allegedly played a central role in organizing violent anti-Israel protests in Amsterdam in November 2024 that escalated into coordinated attacks on Israeli soccer fans. According to an Israeli government report, the demonstration was described as a “direct clash” with Israel and led to well-coordinated violence involving stun grenades and physical assaults on Israeli fans throughout the city center.
NCRI’s analysis identified PGNL as a key organizer of the violence, which law enforcement and Israeli officials classified as a pogrom. The attacks followed UEFA match events and targeted Israelis based solely on their identity.
Connections to Palestinian National Conference
In July 2024, a Zoom meeting was convened with Palestinian figures in the Netherlands to discuss preparations for participation in the Palestinian National Conference held in Doha, Qatar, in February 2025. Attendees included Ahmad Skineh and Ayman Nejmeh, both connected to PGNL and groups allegedly affiliated with Hamas in Europe, according to the Jerusalem Post.
Skineh has been involved with multiple pro-Hamas organizations, including the Palestinian Return Centre in the UK and the European Palestinian Council for Political Relations. Both organizations have alleged links to Hamas operatives and U.S.-designated Hamas officials. The Palestinian National Conference brought together nearly 400 Palestinian figures, including Zaher Birawi, a Hamas operative designated by the Israeli Ministry of Defense and the U.S. Treasury, and Ziad El-Aloul, an alleged Hamas operative in Europe who publicly celebrated the October 7, 2023 attacks as a “moment of glory.”
Pattern of Hamas Infrastructure Across Europe
The upcoming Amsterdam protest represents the latest demonstration organized by an entity that European security analysts have identified as part of Hamas’s operational infrastructure in the region. ELNET’s research documented that PGNL’s activities extended beyond protests to include fundraising and high-level coordination with designated Hamas leadership.
Dutch authorities have previously taken enforcement action against the organization’s leadership, but PGNL continues to operate under new management with documented ties to the same Hamas-affiliated networks in Europe.
The March 15 protest follows a pattern of PGNL-organized demonstrations that escalated into violence targeting Jews and Israelis. The organization’s use of anti-Western rhetoric in its protest invitation reflects messaging common among Hamas-affiliated groups that frame the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as part of a broader confrontation with Western nations.