People cannot claim to fight for the future of their children and not see the injustice faced by the Palestinian people, the activist Greta Thunberg has said at an event in Dublin.
“You can’t have climate justice if you do not have basic human rights,” she said.
The 22-year-old Swede, known in particular for her campaigning on climate and environmental causes, was speaking at the Evening of words and songs for Gaza event in Dublin’s Dalymount Park on Thursday night.
More than 1,100 people attended the gathering, which was also addressed by Dr Mohammed Abu Mughaisib, deputy medical co-ordinator for Médecins Sans Frontières’ operations in Palestine, and moderated by the Irish human rights activist Caoimhe Buckley.
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Ms Thunberg, who was detained by Israeli authorities after they intercepted a humanitarian flotilla bringing aid to Gaza in October, said she had begun her personal activism as a child in Sweden when she protested in support of refugees.
She said people could not “claim to be climate justice activists for the future of our children and fail to see the injustice of the position of the Palestinian people”.
She said she was “humbled and grateful to be in Ireland”, a country which had always opposed oppressors.
Ms Thunberg, who was welcomed to Áras an Uachtaráin by President Catherine Connolly on Wednesday, was in Ireland at the invitation of Bohemians Football Club as part of an initiative by the club’s climate justice committee.
Videos of the 2025 humanitarian flotilla to Israel were also played during the evening.
Dr Mughaisib said that after he qualified as a doctor he had settled with his family in Gaza. Later he said that, like all Palestinians made refugees, he was unable to take anything with him, “just the clothes we wore and a phone and charger. People were told no souvenirs, not even the sand of Gaza”.
The conversation reflected on the experience of the recent flotillas to Gaza, the ongoing genocide, and the immediate future for those standing in solidarity with the Palestinian people.
Musical performers for the night included Róisín El Cherif, Sorcha Richardson and Kevin Corcoran.
Speaking at the event, Bohemian FC president Matt Devaney said the club was able to host such events as it was “not owned by a billionaire like a lot of football clubs are”.
He said Bohemians was proud of its ability to confront issues such as “the disgraceful homelessness crisis in this city and country” and its ability to stand for justice on various issues.
