Police in Amersfoort have apologised for doorstepping a woman who participated in pro-Palestine demonstrations.

In a video made by the woman and put on social media, two policemen appear at her door saying they want to come in and “ask her a few questions”.

When she refused to let them enter, one of the officers said they knew that she had been present at several demonstrations, asking “How do you feel about the situation now? Are you planning on going on more demonstrations?”

Filming the confrontation throughout, the woman said she would not answer their questions and that she has a right to demonstrate against genocide and need not justify her reasons. One of the men then comments “We understand that you will be moving soon”.

Amnesty International said it has received reports of similar incidents from climate activists and anti-racist and pro-Palestinian demonstrators.

“How often this happens and who is behind it we don’t know,” researcher Vera Prins told Trouw. “It’s a violation of privacy: apparently the police are checking up on you. We are also afraid of the chilling effect. It could put people off from making their voices heard. Demonstrating is not a favour but a right and you don’t need to justify participating,” she told the paper.

In an e-mail to the paper, the Amersfoort force said it had seen the video. “How this conversation was conducted is not what we stand for. We regret the way this has happened and we offer our apologies,” it said.

A police spokesman said the police will only question people whose behaviour is “cause for concern”. He would not go into the reasons it was felt the woman merited a visit, “for reasons of privacy”.

Prins said “concern” for certain opinions is not a reason for a visit by police and the police’s actions criminalise demonstrators instead of facilitating demonstrations no matter what they are about. “If there is a suspicion of an offence police can enter someone’s house. There was nothing like that here,” she said.