A group of activists occupied the offices of the European Commission in Dublin for six hours on Thursday in protest over its support for Israel at the outset of its deadly conflict with Hamas.
A small number of protesters occupied the reception of the EU offices on Lower Mount Street, Dublin 2 at 10am, while others demonstrated outside the building.
Carrying Palestinian flags and umbrellas in the country’s colours, the protesters held up placards calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, where air strikes by Israel have killed thousands of people.
One of the group, David Landy, an assistant professor of sociology in Trinity College Dublin, said Israel was killing civilians in the Gaza Strip with the “full support” of the European Commission.
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“Currently, they have already killed thousands of Palestinians, uprooted hundreds of thousands and are announcing that they want to destroy and level Gaza,” he said.
Mr Landy said he was “stunned” by the unconditional support European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen had offered to Israel in the wake of the initial attacks in southern Israel, where Hamas militants crossed from Gaza to kill more than 1,000 people earlier this month.
He said he was taken aback by the “level of unstinting support” for Israel as the conflict escalated. “They were publicly announcing they were going to starve everybody of water and food,” he said.
The group behind the protest, Dublin for Gaza, had been set up in response to the Israel-Hamas conflict in recent days.
John Lyons, an Independent councillor on Dublin City Council who was involved in the protest, said he welcomed the fact the Government had been “more critical” of Israel’s actions in Gaza than others.
“The Irish Government stand out, unfortunately internationally, in taking a principled enough stand and they are supporting the cause that we’re also making, which is, you know, we need immediate military ceasefire,” he said.
Cllr Lyons, a former People Before Profit councillor, said the Government needed to put together a Coalition of European countries to sanction Israel and demand a military ceasefire.
“We need humanitarian aid immediately into Gaza and we need to afford the Palestinian people have asked for the protection of the UN,” he said.
Cllr Lyons said the devastation in Gaza and deaths of innocent children in the conflict was “shocking”.
“You see whole neighbourhoods, whole families, destroyed hospitals, schools, UN buildings all being reduced to rubble,” he said.
He questioned why it seemed Palestinians were “less deserving of life” and the protection of international law, than Ukrainians civilians following the country’s invasion by Russia.
“It’s inhumane, and we need to reaffirm our humanity and demand action from the international community, including the EU Commission, and including the Irish Government,” he said.
In a statement, Barbara Nolan, head of the commission’s office in Ireland, said it fully respected the right of people to protest peacefully.
“These young people have not disrupted working arrangements and are making their voices heard. We are here to listen and understand their concerns,” she said.
Following a meeting between the protesters and Ms Nolan, they left the offices at about 4pm.
