Germany Amsterdam palace smeared with red paint

The Royal Palace in Amsterdam was smeared with red paint during the night. Pro-Palestinian activists have claimed responsibility on social media. Large red spots can be seen on a wall of the palace in the center of the Dutch capital and the word "Intifada" in yellow paint.

Intifada refers to two violent Palestinian uprisings against the Israeli occupation in which thousands of Israelis were killed.

The action was a message to the government, wrote the group Palestine Action Amsterdam on Instagram. The red color stands as a symbol "for the blood of the Palestinians that flows through the streets of Gaza." The activists accuse the Dutch government of supporting "genocide, settlement colonialism and the occupation of Palestine", which they accuse Israel of.

The Royal Palace in Amsterdam is only used for ceremonial purposes. The royal family lives in The Hague. This is not the first time that pro-Palestinian demonstrators have graffitied public buildings in Amsterdam. In November, for example, the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum were smeared.

SDA