a day ago
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.
