Gaza protests grow as further atrocities are uncovered

As a new mass grave was being unearthed in Gaza, tens of thousands of people marched through Dublin city centre on Saturday afternoon calling for freedom and justice for Palestine.

It was the fifth major pro-Palestinian demonstration calling for an end to the Israeli genocide, with organisers estimating more than 60,000 in attendance.

It came as Palestinian civil defence began exhuming bodies from a mass grave outside the Nasser hospital complex in Khan Younis after Israeli troops withdrew. A total of 310 bodies have been found in the last week, including summarily executed patients and medics, pushing the estimated civilian toll in the Israeli liquidation of the Gaza Strip to over 35,000.

Marchers proceeded from the north Dublin city centre, passing down O’Connell Street, over the Bridge, around by Trinity College and towards the 26 County parliament at Leinster House.

The march was organised by the Ireland Palestine Solidarity organisation and sponsored by a multitude of organisations across the civic and political spectrum.

Marchers shouted “Free, Free – Palestine” and “From the river to the sea – Palestine will be free!”

One group followed a chant calling out a list of categories of victims of the genocide, such as medical workers, journalists, ambulance crews, refugees, to which the group replied “Not a target”.

Others included: “In our thousands, in our millions – We are all Palestinians!”; “Netanyahu, what do you say? How many kids have you killed today?”; “EU, you can’t hide – You’re supporting genocide!”; and “Saoirse – Don Phalaistín!”

Marchers also called for the expulsion of the Israeli Ambassador and the closure of the Israeli embassy.

Demonstrators, some wearing keffiyeh scarves, carried placards and waved Irish and Palestinian flags.

Speakers included Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign chairwoman Zoe Lawlor and Palestinian human rights lawyer Tala Nasir.

Ms Lawlor said: “Thousands upon thousands of us have marched through almost 200 days of apartheid Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

“We urge everyone who cares about Palestinian rights to refuse to give up. We can see we are shifting the Government into action, slowly but surely.

“That’s why it’s crucial that we keep the pressure up for real action to punish Israel for its crimes. Every day of inaction means more loss of Palestinian life and the further normalisation of genocide.”

Ms Nasir thanked the Irish people for their solidarity with Palestine.

She said: “The situation in Palestine is horrible right now.”

She added: “We follow all your activities and this gives us hope that through the support of people around the world, we will achieve victory and be liberated from this brutalisation and apartheid regime.”

The rally was addressed and entertained by Christy Moore. During his address, Mr Moore sang a version of Palestine by the Seattle musician Jim Page.

He sang: “We need to talk about the friends we still endorse, about the rockets and the tanks and the warships they disperse. No wonder, it seems to be an undemocratic version of democracy?”

Even though Ireland has seen no civil disobedience by pro-Palestinian activists, demonstrators at the weekend march were still subjected to low-level kettling and harassment by Gardai.

In Berlin, however, there was disbelief when an Irish language group attempting to have a small ‘ciorcal comhrá’, a conversation circle, speaking and singing in Irish in a park in front of the German Parliament, were ordered to leave amid a crackdown on protests.

The police told them that only German and English languages were permitted in that area.

With atrocities emerging in Gaza which recall the horrors of Nazi era, there was anger in Ireland at the authoritarian and racist approach of the German authorities.

The group denied the small gathering was a demonstration, describing it as “an evening of Irish song and conversation”.

“This action interferes with our fundamental rights as European citizens to assemble and speak our native language. It is also a clear contravention of German and EU law,” the group said in a statement.

While Irish university campuses have been relatively quiet, Irish students have been joining Gaza protests in the US as students and staff there faced down police in New York and State Troopers in Texas.

And one student challenged Nancy Pelosi, the US administration figure and former speaker of US House of Representatives, at an event in Dublin last week.

Pelosi, who was in the Irish capital on Monday to receive awards, was interrupted by Martha Ní Riada, UCD Students’ Union President. She stood up and shouted: “Pelosi is a Zionist and a war criminal” before security men rushed over and violently dragged her from the room.

As she was led away, Ms Ní Riada condemned Pelosi’s support for Israel.

“You said that support for Israel is in our DNA - no it’s not! What about Palestinian women?,” she shouted.

Last week, a number of republican groups marked ‘Palestinian Prisoners Day’, calling for the release of the 9,500 Palestinians held by Israel, including 3,660 being held in ‘administrative detention’, a form of internment where prisoners are held indefinitely without trial, and more than 200 children, ranging in age from 12 to 17.

And a slogan calling for a ceasefire in the Middle East has been painted onto the surface of a Derry GAA ground ahead of a televised championship match on Saturday.

The message “Stop the Killing” was painted onto the centre of the pitch. Photographs of the slogan appear to show attempts have been made to scrub the message off.

A group of artists also projected a beam of light onto the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare with the word ‘ceasefire’.

In a statement, the collective of Irish artists called for a permanent ceasefire.

In a statement, Dearbhla Glynn said: “In the midst of starvation, and the onset of famine in the north of Gaza, this image is intended to be a beam of empathy from Ireland to Gaza, and a call for collective action.”

Caoimhe Butterly added: “Our action is particularly addressed to, and in solidarity with, the children of Gaza. There have been more children killed in Gaza in the past six months than four years of global war.”

Urgent Appeal