Thousands of people marched through Dublin city on Saturday afternoon in a national demonstration in support of Palestinians and calling for an immediate end to violence in the Gaza Strip.
The rally was organised by the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) and supported by over 70 groups, including the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, the National Women’s Council of Ireland and multiple students’ unions.
Organisers have described it as the biggest ever protest for Palestine in Ireland.
Supporters gathered at the Garden of Remembrance in Dublin’s north inner city at 1pm on Saturday, before marching towards the Department of Foreign Affairs, where a rally took place.
The crowd was filled with Palestinian flags, posters calling for an “end to the Gaza genocide” as well as makeshift washing lines, with baby clothes hanging from it, representing the many young lives lost in the conflict.
At the front of the march, four people held mock corpses in bloody body bags to represent the growing number of civilian casualties.
The protesters had people of all ages, including babies waving flags in a buggy, and older people who required walking frames to assist them when marching.
There were call-and-response chants throughout the march. “In our thousands, in our millions, we are all Palestinians,” the crowd chanted.
“But mam we’re Irish,” one little girl said to her mother.
“They mean in our hearts. We’re Palestinian because we’re all people,” her mother replied.
“Well obviously we’re all people,” the girl replied.
Séamus Ó Nualláin, from Nenagh in Tipperary, travelled up to take part in the protest because he had visited Gaza in 2010 and thought the situation was very sad, but he “just can’t conceive how people are surviving now”.
“I think everybody at this stage is conscious of what’s happening in Gaza in particular, and the West Bank. Four months ago, we couldn’t have foreseen the inhumanity of what’s happening,” he said.
“We know that Israel had losses in the Hamas attack, but the response is just absolutely out of proportion.”
Ciara Leonard took part in the demonstration because “Palestine is being destroyed”.
“It’s just immoral. Innocent children are being killed and injured, their limbs are being blown off them,” she said.
Ms Leonard was critical of the Government’s response to the conflict, adding that they should support the South Africa case, referring to the country’s genocide case against Israel in the International Court of Justice.
“I know we’re a neutral country, but you can’t be neutral during this,” she added.
Zoe Lawlor, chair of the IPSC, said the people of Ireland reject the actions of Israel.
“We reject this violence, this racism, this ethnic cleansing, this starvation, this siege, this horror being waged on the Palestinian people,” she said.
“Looking at Palestine right now, everyday you see the worst thing since the very last worst thing. Can you imagine what it’s like for the people living through this hell?”
Rallies also took place elsewhere in Ireland on Saturday as part of a global day of action.
In Cork, over one thousand people marched through the streets of the city to show solidarity with Palestine.
Martin Shiel, co-chair of the Cork Palestine Solidarity campaign said that Irish people have a huge desire for real action to be taken to end the suffering of Palestinians.
“People have been marching for fourteen weeks and numbers on the streets continue to grow. The Irish Government’s refusal to formally back South Africa’s case against Israel (in the International Court of Justice) is clearly out of step with the will of the Irish people.”
Meanwhile, Cork North Central Solidarity/People before Profit TD Mick Barry criticised the Irish Government for “failing to support South Africa’s legal action against Israel” in the ICJ.
“It is very disappointing that the Irish Government did not have the guts to join South Africa in bringing forward genocide charges against Israel. But today’s march shows the feelings of the ordinary people on this matter.”
Thousands of pro-Palestine protesters took to the streets of London on Saturday, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
About 1,700 police officers patrolled the capital as the march made its way to Parliament Square. Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald was one of the speakers at the protest and called for an “immediate and permanent ceasefire”.
Ms McDonald told crowds that Palestinian freedom was possible, saying: “When I say this, standing in London, in common cause with you, [having] walked our own journey out of conflict, building peace for 25 years, this can happen.
“This must happen and we will ensure that it does.”
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