Thousands attend pro-Palestinian rally in Dublin as ‘Palestine Action' protesters arrested across UK
Today's rally in Dublin saw demonstrators march from the Garden of Remembrance on Parnell Square to Leinster House.
It was the 16th such demonstration since October 2023 and came after the Dáil rose for the summer recess.
The Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) accused the Irish Government of an 'absolute refusal to hold Israel accountable for a genocide in which the Apartheid state has slaughtered more than 58,000 Palestinians'.
The march demanded an end to the Central Bank of Ireland's role in approving Israel Bonds for sale in the EU, for the Government to include services in the Occupied Territories Bill and to pass that legislation.
It also called for an end to the use of Irish airspace for the transport of weapons to the region.
Marah Nijim, a 23-year-old who came to Ireland from Gaza three months ago, told the crowd she was forced to leave her home, her family and her 'soul' and 'heart'.
She said Palestinians in Gaza are deprived of human rights, adding that she is 'living with nightmares' of people burning alive and calling for help.
'Protesting is not enough any more, we need real actions from Government. People in Gaza are being starved to death.'
Demonstrators also called for an end to the use of Irish airspace for the transport of weapons to the region.
The group also criticised the Government after 33 Palestinian children were recently denied entry to Ireland over visa issues.
GAA Palestine said it had to take the 'heartbreaking' decision to cancel a planned Irish tour for the children.
IPSC chairperson Zoe Lawlor said: 'The Irish government is barely lifting a finger to end Ireland's deep complicity in this genocide.'
Lawlor added: 'On top of this we have the appalling spectacle of the state refusing visas to child medical evacuees and Palestinian kids to visit Ireland to play our national sports.'
Stretching along Molesworth Street in front of Leinster House was a 120ft long and 5.5ft wide quilt, made up of 2,300 panels.
Woman fixes rug made by Palestine women living in Ireland - each square represents a child who has been killed in the conflict
RollingNews.ie
RollingNews.ie
Each panel – the vast majority of which were knitted by hand – is designed to represent the deaths of 10 children in Gaza, adding up to a total of 23,000 children.
Anna Doyle and Niamh Bonner, from Craftivism For Gaza, said they are still accepting squares as the death toll continues to rise.
Doyle told the PA news agency: 'Each square represents 10 children. Their voices have been lost to the world forever.
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'It also represents the voice of the crafter because most of them are made by people who wouldn't be able to come to a protest.'
In the UK today, demonstrations were held in London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Bristol and Truro as part of a campaign coordinated by Defend Our Juries.
Protesters wrote the message 'I oppose genocide I support Palestine Action' on placards before being surrounded by police officers at the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament Square, London.
People attend a protest in Parliament Square in support of Palestine Action
PA
PA
Officers confiscated the placards and searched the bags of those arrested, with some protesters being carried away by police while others were led away in handcuffs.
The Metropolitan Police said 55 people were arrested in Parliament Square under Section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000 for displaying placards in support of Palestine Action.
Eight people were arrested near Truro Cathedral in Cornwall after protesters gathered to show support for Palestine Action.
Devon and Cornwall Police said in a statement that around 30 protesters were involved in the 'peaceful' Defend Our Juries demonstration.
The force went on: 'Eight people, two men and six women, were arrested on suspicion of offences under Section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000. They remain in police custody.'
A woman who was detained by police in Parliament Square said: 'We demand that Palestine Action is de-proscribed.
'Our government is not only arming a genocide, they are using terrorism laws to silence people who speak out.
'Palestine Action are campaigning for peace. They are dismantling weapons factories.'
As he was carried away by police, a protester in London said: 'Freedom of speech is dead in this country, shame on the Metropolitan Police.'
A small number of counter-protesters in Parliament Square held up placards which said 'there is no genocide but there are 50 hostages still captive'.
Metropolitan Police officers remove a person from a protest in Parliament Square
PA
PA
It comes ahead of a High Court hearing on Monday in which the co-founder of Palestine Action, Huda Ammori,
will ask for the green light to challenge the Home Secretary's decision to ban the group under anti-terror laws.
The ban means that membership of, or support for, the direct action group is now a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison, under the Terrorism Act 2000.
The Metropolitan Police said 70 people were arrested at similar demonstrations in Parliament Square over the past two weekends.
The move to ban the organisation came after two Voyager aircraft were damaged at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on 20 June, an incident claimed by Palestine Action, which police said caused about £7 million (€8m) worth of damage.
British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced plans to proscribe Palestine Action three days later, saying that the vandalism of the planes was 'disgraceful' and the group had a 'long history of unacceptable criminal damage'.
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