Paul Murphy and March to Gaza participants released from detention in Egypt
People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy and other people who were travelling through Egypt to participate in the Global March to Gaza have been released from detention by the Egyptian authorities.
People Before Profit confirmed Murphy's release from detention in a statement on Saturday morning and said that Murphy and other detainees were OK and were still intending to reach Rafah to try and get humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Councillor Jess Spear said: 'It is a relief to hear that Paul and the others in his group have been released and are ok. However, they still want to reach Rafah to try and get humanitarian aid into Gaza. That has been the sole purpose of being in Egypt.
'Paul has appealed to Tánaiste Simon Harris to put pressure on the Egyptian authorities to let the marchers reach Rafah. The situation of the people of Gaza worsens by the day as they suffer starvation imposed by Israel. We need to get humanitarian aid to them as quickly as possible'.
A post on Murphy's X account on Saturday morning read: "We were finally released late last night at airport. Police still have our phones.
"We are back in Cairo and meeting shortly to decide next steps. We're focused on Israel's genocide and starvation of Gaza. Thanks for your support. Free Palestine."
Murphy had been detained after flying to Cairo on Thursday to join protestors marching from Egypt to the Rafah Border to protest the blockade of aid entering Gaza.
People Before Profit had suggested on Friday that the Egyptian authorities had confiscated the passports of Murphy and were 'attempting to get Paul and the other marchers to board a bus for deportation'.
The party said that after the protestors had initially refused to get on, they were eventually "forced on the bus".
A spokesman said: "We believe they are being taken to Cairo for deportation. Paul's phone has been taken so we are no longer in contact with him."
Matt Collins, National Secretary of People Before Profit, had called on the Irish Government to intervene.
He said: 'The Irish government must contact the Egyptian authorities to demand the release of Paul and the others who have been detained.
'They are on a peaceful march to demand that humanitarian aid is delivered to starving people in Gaza. There is no reason for them to be detained'.
'We also call on the public to contact the Egyptian embassy to demand that people on the Global March to Gaza are allowed to travel unhindered.'
People Before Profit member Kellie McConnell was also detained and had her passport confiscated.
When asked if the Irish Government would intervene, a spokesperson for Tánaiste and Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Harris referred the Irish Mirror to the Department of Foreign Affairs press office, noting that it was a 'consular" matter.
Mr Murphy flew to Cairo on Thursday to join protestors marching from Egypt to the Rafah Border to protest the blockade of aid entering Gaza.
Videos posted on social media throughout Friday afternoon showed people asking authorities where their passports were and chanting 'free, free Palestine'.
Mr Murphy also alleged that people's phones were confiscated.
He said: 'We have arrived at a location on the way to Rafah. Unfortunately, when we got here, our passports were immediately confiscated by the army. Everyone else who is here has had the same situation.
'There was a bus here which they tried to get people to go on. They refused to go on it because they think, I think correctly, that it would be used to deport them.
'We've heard news about people being stopped in Cairo and their passports taken off them and now it seems their phones taken off them and probably detained with a view to deporting them.'
A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs said it and the Embassy of Ireland in Egypt are 'closely monitoring the situation'.
They said: 'Embassy officials are engaging with the relevant local authorities and are in contact with EU and other partners regarding the situation.
'The Department is in contact with a number of citizens and is providing advice and guidance.
'As set out in our travel advice, the vicinity of the Rafah border crossing is particularly dangerous at the moment and the border crossing is currently closed.'
The Egyptian Embassy in Dublin did not respond to queries from the Irish Mirror.
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