Gaza : Belfast Protest
antrim |
anti-war / imperialism |
news report 
Tuesday December 30, 2008 02:17
by Caitlin Ni Chonaill - Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign
belfastipsc at yahoo dot ie
Outrage in Belfast over Israeli war crimes - brief report.
On Monday 29th December, in response to a call from the local branch of the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign, close to 100 people assembled in front of Belfast City Hall to protest at the barbaric Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip. Those present included members of the Palestinian and Muslim communities in Belfast, MLAs, members of political organisations, of Belfast Trades Council and of trades unions, community leaders and activists and NGOs. During the protest the crowd observed a minute's silence for the dead of Gaza and of the West Bank, after which they heard speeches condemning the Israeli action by Nobel Prize winner Mairead Maguire, recently returned from Palestine and from Patricia McKeown, President of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. The local press conducted interviews and took photos. The protest lasted approximately an hour and a half.
Comments (6 of 6)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6I'd say there was over 100 at the protest yesterday, perhaps around 130.
More pics and link to report:
Beidh dhá agóidí ar siúl ar an tríú lá Eanáir i gCorcaigh (Daunt Square) agus Baile Átha Cliath (Central Bank Plaza, Dame Street) ar a haon a chlog (san tráthnóna).
There will be two protests running on the 3rd of January in Cork (Daunt Square) and Dublin (Central Bank Plaza, Dame Street) at 1 o'clock (in the afternoon).
The more the merrier, come out and protest this horrific attack on the Palestinian people!
Le meas,
Seán Ó Briain
ÓSF Port Láirge
Protest held at Belfast’s City Hall By John Heaney
30/12/08
DEMONSTRATORS protesting against Israel’s military attack on Gaza were yesterday told that the continuing airstrikes were “war crimes for which the Israeli government must be held accountable before the international community”.
Peace campaigner Mairead Corrigan Maguire, who recently returned from Palestine, told those assembled at Belfast City Hall that “the situation is one of the worst humanitarian crises of recent times, caused by the Israeli government’s policy of collective punishment.”
The protest included representatives from the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Unison and Ogra Shinn Fein.
“Can you imagine if the 1.5 million people in Northern Ireland which is exactly the population of Palestine were cut off from the entire world for two years, with their airport bombed and their seaports and borders closed to international humanitarian aid?” Ms Corrigan told the crowd of about 50 protesters.
“If this was done to the people here, the whole world – and the United States in particular – would be up-in-arms to demand that this stop immediately and yet the world remains silent in the face of Israel’s inhumanity.”
Khadigeh Farouki, a Palestinian woman now living in Belfast, said she attended the protest to tell the world “what is happening in Gaza is a
massacre.”
“If one person is killed here, you can see it in every newspaper,” she said.
“Yet here we are seeing a 1,000 Palestinians injured and 400 killed in just two days, with everything in Gaza demolished and nobody can go and help them.”
“I am from Palestine and was driven to Europe for human rights.
“Now to see this happen and have nobody do anything, it hurts me very much because I feel this is the concern of everybody.”
Patricia McKeown, president of Irish Congress of Trade Unions and regional secretary of Unison said: “Israel is now the bully of the Middle East.
“It thinks it can do whatever it likes because it has American backing, so primarily the US must speak out but the rest of us... must stand up now and say, ‘You stop or we take
action’.”
I am shocked to read this ... if all Irish people feel the same...this is sad!
Israel has the right to protect its citizens from muslim fanatics who want to have the entire world a muslim world, while killing or converting all Christians and Jews!
Andrei (Romania)
Andrei, For you to say that, you are obviously ignorant to the situation of Gaza, and of the Palestinian people, you are obviously ignorant to the fact that Israel has invaded and has killed thousands of Palestinians before, The media says that it is to target hamas, but the truth of the matter is, families living within close proximity of suspected Hamas HQ's are told to leave and some cannot, many cannot leave, and so they are bombed to hell with "Hamas suspects".
Finally mate, for you to state that
"Israel has the right to protect its citizens from muslim fanatics who want to have the entire world a muslim world, while killing or converting all Christians and Jews!"
More like :
"Gaza has the right to protect its citizens from the zionist israeli fanatics who want to have the entire area of Palestine for themselves, while killing or demolishing innocent palestinian muslims!"
Two sides to a coin, and the Israeli coin seems far far, less "bad" i use the term loosely..
Hundreds of people have been killed by Israel, and you call Muslims "terrorists"? Thats just bizarre and shocking. The rockets fired from Hamas militants have killed how many? Injured how many?
And the F-16's or what-ever Jets flying over gaza, and the tanks invading and troops invading gaza, are killing how many?
- proved my point.
Its disgusting people are ignorant to what is going on in Palestine, Palestinians dont even have a recognized country, or am i wrong that they do? Do they have civil rights? - No (Which i might add Irish-Catholics in the north pushed for themselves) Are many of their houses being bulldozed to move-in new settlements for the "nice" Israeli-Jews? - Yes, Are children dying in this conflict - Yes, are Babies - Im sure,
So how can you back a war-machine, disgusting, vile country who kills thousands and gets away with it, im sure you will come to the same conclusion that the killings have to stop, but Israel has the bigger guns, warplanes, tanks, thousands if not hundreds of thousands of soldiers, and all of THIS to face HOW MANY Hamas "terrorists"?! And yet HAMAS and PALESTINIANS are "terrorists?!"
- Jesus catch a grip!!!!!!!!! FREE GAZA, FREE PALESTINE, TIOCFAIDH AR LA!
Indymedia Ireland is a media collective. We are independent volunteer citizen journalists producing and distributing the authentic voices of the people. Indymedia Ireland is an open news project where anyone can post their own news, comment, videos or photos about Ireland or related matters.