Dublin solidarity march with Gaza

national | rights, freedoms and repression | feature

Monday April 21, 2008 01:14

by Paula Geraghty / David Landy

mspgeraghty at yahoo dot ie

National Demonstration - Solidarity WIth Palestine!

Solidarity with Gaza!

It was a typical April Saturday; it was raining. But despite the rain over 300 people marched through Dublin to remember Deir Yassin and to remember the Palestinians in Gaza today.

The demonstration was part of a series of IPSC events to commemorate the Nakba – the ethnic cleansing of Palestine which led to the establishment of the exclusivist state of Israel. It linked the most infamous massacre of 1948 – Deir Yassin where around 120 people were killed, with the ‘collective punishment’ endured by the people of Gaza today. Last month alone, over 120 people were killed in Gaza. As the IPSC leaflet said ‘We can't stop yesterday's atrocities; we must prevent today's.’

Speaking at the demonstration were Senator David Norris, Michael D Higgins T.D., Mary Lou McDonald MEP, Eamonn McCann, Mags O'Brien (Trade Union Friends of Palestine), Dr. Bassam Nassar (Palestinian Community in Ireland) and Marie Crawley (IPSC).

A common theme of many of the speeches was to call on the EU to suspend the Euro-Med agreement, which gives trade privileges to Israel. As Marie Crawley said, ‘There is no logical reason why the Euro-Med agreement shouldn’t be suspended. It is past time the EU activated the human rights clause in the Euro Med agreement, and stops rewarding Israel for its actions in Gaza.’

Afterwards there was a press conference and public meeting of about 80+ people. Speaking there were Michael D. Mary Lou and Treasa Ni Cheannabhain, the IPSC activist recently returned from imprisonment in Gaza. In addition there was a link with Palestinian journalists in Gaza Samah Habeeb and Sami Abusalim who described the appalling conditions people faced in Gaza. They explained about the food shortages and the lack of medical supplies in Gaza.

Sami Abusalim told the audience ‘People need to be aware of the situation and shake off their apathy. Wake up Ireland! Whatever about other European countries, Irish people have experienced oppression, and understand its nature. The people of Gaza are suffering and we are asking you - what you doing about it?’

It’s a good question. Despite the rain it was a very successful demonstration, but Palestinians need more than demos. At the same time these events do show our politicians that Irish people feel solidarity with the people of Palestine. They also show Palestinians in Gaza that they haven’t been forgotten. So fair dues to all who came along and who made Saturday a success.

Thanks also to all those groups who helped us poster and who publicised the demonstration and who came along. Thanks to HOPI, to the ISN and the WSM, to Eirigi and Sinn Fein, to Anti-war Ireland and the Irish Anti War Movement, to the Socialist Party and Socialist Workers, to Connolly youth and to Labour youth. And thanks also to the newly-formed TUFP – Trade Union Friends of Palestine. If there’s anyone I left out, it wasn’t deliberate – its just that so many groups came together to help us out.

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