Global March to Gaza departs from Cairo on Sunday
Paul Murphy, People Before Profit TD, outlines his reasons for taking part in the Global March to Gaza
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Sunday World
2 hours ago
- Sunday World
TD Paul Murphy detained in Egypt during protest march to Gaza
'We have had our passports confiscated and are being detained. It seems Egyptian authorities have decided to crack down on the #GreatMarchToGaza.' People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy is one of a number of people who have been detained and had their passports confiscated while travelling through Egypt on the way to Gaza. The group is part of the Global March to Gaza, which is attempting to reach Rafah in the embattled Gaza Strip. Mr Murphy said in a social media post: 'We have had our passports confiscated and are being detained. It seems Egyptian authorities have decided to crack down on the #GreatMarchToGaza.' Mr Murphy said his passport had been confiscated by the Egyptian army, along with those of other people in the group who were stopped. According to People Before Profit, Mr Murphy, with the group of protesters, have been forced onto buses and are understood to be on their way to Cairo for deportation. Mr Murphy told the PA news agency that several other Irish citizens were among those who had been stopped. People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy. Photo: PA Today's News in 90 Seconds - June 13 2025 He said: 'It's looking worrying that the Egyptian authorities are going to act to prevent our peaceful march to Gaza, to demand that Israel's blockade of humanitarian aid, of food, of water, of medical supplies, is ended. 'I'm just asking people to redouble their efforts, to get on to your own government – in Ireland's case get on to (Foreign Affairs Minister) Simon Harris, your local TD, ask them to pressurise the Egyptian regime to allow us to engage in our peaceful march. 'The world has watched a horrific genocide for the past 20 months – since March, a total attempt of starvation. And that this a peaceful march to demand that it be ended and demand that western governments stop their complicity.' According to a statement from People Before Profit, authorities have attempted to get Mr Murphy and others in the group to board a bus for deportation, but the group are refusing. '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," said Matt Collins, national secretary of People Before Profit. People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Paul Murphy (Brian Lawless/PA) '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," he added. Social Democrats Councillor Mark Barry, who is also one of those participating in the march, was turned away at a checkpoint in Ismailia but was not detained. Councillor Barry said he believes 35 Irish delegates made it through to the city to continue on to the Gaza border. "Delegates from all over the world have gathered in Cairo, there's about 35 from Ireland that have gotten through," he said on Friday morning. "A number have been deported from the airport and others from the city. It is extremely difficult, there is a lot of police and military presence on the streets and they are stopping people, searching bags and stuff like that. "The army are taking the passports off people and they are detaining them. In Cairo they have taken a number of Irish delegates and put them on a windowless bus and have taken their passports. We assume they are going to be deported. We are on our way back to Cairo where we will regroup." TD Jennifer Whitmore, who is a constituency colleague of Mr Barry, said the developments were "deeply concerning". "Those participating in this march, including Social Democrats Wicklow councillor Mark Barry, are just a group of people who want to express their outrage and get the message out there that aid should be allowed to cross the border into Gaza to ease the suffering of so many Palestinian men, women and children," Ms Whitmore said. "It is disturbing to hear reports of Irish citizens having their passports seized by the Egyptian authorities and attempts being made to deport them. "It is very important that the Taoiseach and Tánaiste contact the Egyptian government immediately and insist that Irish citizens have their passports returned and are allowed free and safe passage."
Extra.ie
4 hours ago
- Extra.ie
People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy detained in Egypt
People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy has been detained in Egypt ahead of a pro-Palestinian peace march, his party has claimed. The Irish politician was among a group of people who are travelling through Egypt to reach Rafah on the Global March to Gaza, when the incident took place. The party reports that Mr Murphy and the group had their passports confiscated by Egyptian authorities and are attempting to have them board a bus, which they have refused. People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy at Leinster House with his bag packed ahead of his trip to Cairo. Pic: X In a post on X, Mr Murphy wrote: 'We have had our passports confiscated and are being detained. 'It seems Egyptian authorities have decided to crack down on the #GreatMarchToGaza. 'We are refusing to board the deportation bus,' he added. These are the final seconds we have from phone has been taken, and his passport. We urgently need Minister for Foreign Affairs @SimonHarrisTD to intervene, demand he is freed, his passport & phone returned and the protesters are allowed to peacefully #MarchToGaza — Paul Murphy 🇵🇸 (@paulmurphy_TD) June 13, 2025 Wicklow county councillor Mark Barry, of the Social Democrats, is also on the march, however he was not detained, but was turned around at a checkpoint in Ismailia. Mr Murphy's video on X saw protesters chanting 'Free, free Palestine' and 'From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.' A final tweet from the TD's account reads: 'These are the final seconds we have from Paul. His phone has been taken, and his passport. We urgently need Minister for Foreign Affairs @SimonHarrisTD to intervene, demand he is freed, his passport & phone returned and the protesters are allowed to peacefully #MarchToGaza.' The Irish politician was among a group of people who are travelling through Egypt to reach Rafah on the Global March to Gaza, when the incident took place. Pic: X People Before Profit's National Secretary Matt Collins called on the Government to demand Egyptian authorities release Mr Murphy along with the others who have been detained. He said: '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.' Hundreds of people came to Egypt this week for the Global March to Gaza, an international initiative involving people from 54 nations, who will march from Cairo to the Rafah Crossing at the border of Egypt and Palestine on Friday demanding aid be allowed in. Mr Murphy is one of 50 Irish people who is participating in the global march.
Irish Times
6 hours ago
- Irish Times
People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy detained in Egypt by the authorities
People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy has been detained on Friday afternoon along with a group of people who are travelling through Egypt to reach Rafah on the Global March to Gaza . The Egyptian authorities have confiscated their passports and are attempting to get Mr Murphy and the other marchers to board a bus without stating where the bus is going. At the moment they are refusing to board the bus, according to a People Before Profit statement. Mr Murphy posted a video on X showing protesters chanting 'Free, free Palestine' and 'From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free'. We have had our passports confiscated and are being detained. It seems Egyptian authorities have decided to crack down on the — Paul Murphy 🇵🇸 (@paulmurphy_TD) He added: 'We have had our passports confiscated and are being detained. It seems Egyptian authorities have decided to crack down on the #GreatMarchToGaza . We are refusing to board the deportation bus." READ MORE Other protesters had their phones taken from them. 'It's looking worrying that the Egyptian authorities are trying to prevent our peaceful march to Gaza,' he said. 'I am asking people to redouble their efforts and get on to their governments, in our case Simon Harris (Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs ) to pressurise the Egyptian government to allow us to engage in our peaceful march. 'The world has watched an horrific genocide for the last 20 months. Since March there's been a total attempt at starvation and this is a peaceful march that western governments stop their complicity.' People Before Profit national secretary Matt Collins called on the Irish Government to contact the Egyptian authorities to demand the release of those 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,' he said. Mr Murphy is one of 50 Irish people who is participating in the global March To Gaza. People from 54 countries are taking part, and will march from Cairo to the Rafah Crossing at the border of Egypt and Palestine on Friday demanding aid be allowed in. The Egyptian embassy had been contacted for comment.
