PBP's Paul Murphy joins March to Gaza as Irish people detained on way to protest
People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy will join a Global March to Gaza this weekend to demand that humanitarian aid be allowed through to the population in Gaza'.
Mr Murphy flew to Cairo on Thursday and will join a delegation of 50 Irish people.
An estimated 3,000 people will be on the march, which is aiming to reach the Rafah Crossing in Gaza by Sunday.
However, organisers started to receive reports that people arriving in Cairo to join the march are being detained, with reports of some deportations.
Mr Murphy said: 'The organisers of the Global March to Gaza have received reports that about 200 participants have been detained by the Egyptian authorities, including three participants from Ireland.
'This is a peaceful march to Rafah to demand that humanitarian aid be allowed through to the population in Gaza that is being starved by Israel.
'There is no reason why any participant should be detained.
'The Irish government must contact their Egyptian counterparts to insist that participants from Ireland should be permitted to join this peaceful march.'
In the Dáil, his party colleague Ruth Coppinger asked Tánaiste and Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Harris to contact Egyptian authorities.
He responded: 'I have been discussing this matter with my colleagues in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
'We are monitoring the situation very closely. I have asked for an update from our embassy in Egypt and that our consular section keep me directly updated on these matters.
'The protection and well-being of any Irish citizen in any part of the world is something my Department and the Government takes extremely seriously and I will be keeping a close eye on this.'
A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed it had been 'contacted by a small number of citizens and is providing consular assistance'.
They added: 'As with all consular cases, the Department does not comment on the details of individual cases.
'The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade encourages all travellers to Egypt to consult the relevant travel advice.'
Speaking before leaving for Cairo, Mr Murphy told RTÉ's Morning Ireland that the march will be peaceful.
He said: 'These are peaceful, pro-Palestine, Palestine Solidarity protests.
'We have clear guidelines on what we're doing. We're not trying to forcibly break through into Gaza or anything like that.
'It is a peaceful demonstration. Unfortunately, we're hearing reports of people being detained at the airport.
'Israel has called on Egypt to stop this peaceful protest, but we're still urging Egypt to allow this to go ahead.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RTÉ News
39 minutes ago
- RTÉ News
Michael Carey resigns as Chair of Enterprise Ireland and the Housing Agency
Businessman Michael Carey has resigned as Chair of Enterprise Ireland and Chair of the Housing Agency. Mr Carey is co-founder and Executive Chairman of biscuit producer 'East Coast Bakehouse'. In a statement, Mr Carey said it was with regret that he was announcing his resignation from the two voluntary unpaid/un-expensed state board positions. "Recent media reports have highlighted late account filings with the CRO for our business East Coast Bakehouse, where I'm a major shareholder and executive chairman," Mr Carey said. "This has occurred due to management administrative errors." "The delay has been exacerbated by an unanticipated need for a decision by our board to change our auditors." "There is no suggestion of any financial issues at the company; the accounts for these periods are completed and the fully audited accounts are expected to be filed in the CRO by early July," he added. Mr Carey said that issue of the late filing has received particular media attention due to his role as chairman of two state agencies. "I accept personal responsibility for the failure of the business to comply with this corporate governance requirement and the heightened requirement to fully comply, as chairman of a number of state boards. A late filing fee will be paid as appropriate and actions have been taken to avoid any future reoccurrence." "In order to avoid embarrassment to the Ministers and any distraction from the crucially important jobs undertaken by these two agencies, I will step aside from these roles with immediate effect." "I will work with the board and CEOs of these agencies as/if required to facilitate a smooth transition," Mr Carey said. In a statement, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke said a process will now commence through PublicJobs, the public appointments service, to appoint a new Chair. Jim Woulfe, who currently sits on the board of Enterprise Ireland, is to act as interim Chair in advance of the formal process concluding. "I would like to thank Michael Carey for his work and dedication to Irish enterprises over the last two years as Chair of Enterprise Ireland and wish him all the best in the future," Mr Burke said. Kevin Sherry, Interim CEO, Enterprise Ireland, thanked Mr Carey. "Michael gave huge time and commitment as Chairman and was dedicated to supporting Irish exporting businesses at all stages of their development," Mr Sherry said. "Throughout his time as Chairman, he constantly focused on how our organisation can better support Irish businesses." "He brought the voice of the client and the insights of an entrepreneur to the table ensuring that clients were at the heart of every conversation," he added. The Housing Agency issued a statement thanking Mr Carey for his leadership. "Michael has been a committed leader whose extensive experience and skills have been greatly appreciated by the Agency," said Housing Agency CEO Martin Whelan. "We thank him for his many years of service," Mr Whelan said.
The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
‘It worries me' – Mum pulls son out of Dublin school over fears protests at drop off & collection times could ‘escalate'
A MUM has temporarily taken her eight-year-old son out of his school in Dublin following nearby anti-immigration protests in recent weeks. Andreea-Claudia Calin took her son out of Canal Way Educate Together School in Advertisement A structured tent had been erected close to the The mother-of-two, who is originally from Speaking on She said she made the decision not to send her son to school on Monday. Advertisement Read more in News The mum explained: "I could see my son being anxious, he was asking why there was a tent outside (the school). . . I try to do what's best for my son and keep him home because I was afraid. "It doesn't seem normal and it's not sustainable. "What if things escalate? Today they have an organised protest, more numbers outside of the school." The mother-of-two also said that parents and the local community are worried about the protesters, fearing a potential escalation of the situation. Advertisement Most read in Irish News Breaking Latest The worried mum added that the school principal has been working "tirelessly" to resolve the issue. They also managed to get a Large police presence in Belfast as hundreds gather in Belfast for counter-protest against anti-immigration demonstrators She added: "And I'm one of the lucky people who can do that and keep him home - some parents can't. "It's disheartening. I just got my citizenship, my family got their Irish citizenship. My daughter was born here, my son doesn't know any other home. I've been an immigrant since I was little, I lived for 20 years in Greece and I've seen the situation change there. Advertisement 'IT REALLY WORRIES ME' "It really worries me that I don't feel welcome in a country that I call my home. I don't know what can happen next." In a statement, the principal of Canal Way Educate Together Dermot Stanley said the board is "monitoring" the protests' impact on its school community. He said: "We are always saddened when a "We have notified the departments and ministers of education and justice, An Garda Siochana, Into, Forsa and other relevant stakeholders, seeking a respectful and inclusive resolution that prioritises the wellbeing of our entire community." Advertisement IPAS CENTRE Mr Stanley said the tent structure was moved within two metres from theInternational Protection Accommodation Service (Ipas) centre hall door and four metres from the school. There is one Ipas centre currently in operation at Basin View since 2022. And the Government had plans to expand the centre but they were dropped in recent weeks. 1 There is one Ipas centre currently in operation at Basin View, Dublin 8 Credit: 2024 PA Media, All Rights Reserved Advertisement
Extra.ie
an hour 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.
