Thousands march in Dublin and Cork to show solidarity with Palestine

Several thousand people have marched from the Spire on O’Connell Street to the Department of Foreign Affairs on Stephen’s Green to show solidarity with Palestine.

Abdullah Al Bayvari, who is a Galway based doctor, was among those who addressed the crowd. He called on the Irish Government to take urgent action against Israel, describing this as a “critical moment” for the people of Palestine.

Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) rallies were also taking place in Belfast, Limerick, Wexford, Waterford and Derry on Saturday. About 1,500 people attended a Palestine solidarity rally in Cork city centre on Saturday.

Retired UCC lecturer Dr Kathy Glavanis said large numbers of people were prompted to attend the rally in Cork after seeing “harrowing” images emerging from Gaza. “With the carnage going on people feel that they want to do something,” she said.

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Cork County Council passed a motion at its last meeting condemning Israel’s targeting of the people of Gaza as an unjustified collective punishment of all Gazan civilians for the recent Hamas attack.

Independent Cllr Liam Quaide proposed that Cork County Council would write to the three Coalition party leaders and commend them for identifying the Israeli government response to the Hamas atrocities as an unjust targeting of all Gazans, despite the failure of many western leaders to do so.

Cllr Quaide also called on the three party leaders to continue to publicly condemn as war crimes Israel’s cutting of vital resources to the people of Gaza, their forcible displacement and indiscriminate attacks which are causing widespread death and injury as well as damage to civilian property.

“Atrocities committed inside Israel on October 7th by Palestinian militants should be met with our unqualified condemnation. Those acts of murder, abduction and torture were among the most heinous in the catalogue of human cruelties and are clearly forbidden under international law.

“The Israeli bombardment and siege of Gaza that followed are likewise an affront to our common humanity, and will deepen cycles of hatred, violence and intergenerational trauma in the Middle East,” said Cllr Quaide.

“Both our government and opposition TDs deserve credit for their clear statements on Israel/Gaza and in particular for highlighting the bombardment and siege of Gaza as forms of collective punishment which are illegal under international law.”

Cllr Quaide was supported in his motion by Fine Gael Cllr Jack White who also tabled an amendment that Cork County Council would write to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Tánaiste Micheál Martin and Minister Eamon Ryan asking the government to enact the Occupied Territories Bill.

“Enacting the Occupied Territories Bill would send a clear message to Israel, that Ireland does not condone their illegal expansion past 1967 borders and that Ireland won’t handle any goods or services coming from the Occupied Territories,” he said.