Write a comment
Around 1,000 people walked through Newry on Saturday, 11 October, in a Palestine solidarity march organised by the Irish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) Newry branch. The event marked exactly two years since the branch was founded and held its first protest, coinciding with the announcement of a "complete siege" of Gaza by Israeli officials in October 2022.
Marc Mac Seáin, IPSC Newry chairperson, said: "Bhí sé go hiontach an scaifte mór a fheiceáil ins an Iúir, so many showing their support for the Palestinian people & their struggle. That's a struggle we in Ireland understand innately, against Settler-Colonialism, Imperialism." He noted the branch was founded two years ago as Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant openly declared a "complete siege" of Gaza to block electricity, food, fuel and water, something Mac Seáin said has been enforced to this day.
Whilst welcoming the ceasing of bombing and slight relaxing of the blockade, Mac Seáin argued it was "so obviously not enough", stating that "an Israeli ceasefire isn't worth the paper it's written on". He referenced Trump's Gaza plan and the involvement of Tony Blair, describing the former UK prime minister as "a man unsatisfied with only the blood of millions of Iraqis on his hands". Mac Seáin argued that Gaza was widely regarded internationally between 2006 and 2023 as an open-air prison or concentration camp, and under the best outlook could be presumed to return to that status.
The IPSC chairperson called for the dismantling of what he termed Israel's "Settler-Colony" and a single democratic state for all people, drawing parallels with South Africa where worker boycotts eventually led to international sanctions. He urged the Irish government to pass a full Occupied Territories Bill and end the arms trade to Israel, including the transit of weapons through Irish skies and airports including Shannon and Aldergrove.
Mac Seáin highlighted what he described as economic complicity with Israel through Northern Ireland, mentioning high-profile BDS targets including Texaco fuel, Barclays Banks and Teva pharmaceuticals. He said the Stormont Executive facilitates financial investments and rates relief into engineering firms that supply parts used in Israel's military supply chain. He spoke of Moyola Precision Engineering, which he said receives millions from InvestNI and is part of the F-35 jet programme. According to Mac Seáin, campaigner Roan Ellis-O'Neill working with Madden & Finucane states Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald indicated in April that a six-month review was in process, though this has elapsed with no further update.
He also criticised InvestNI for hosting a "Northern Ireland Stand" at what he described as the world's biggest weapons fair in London last month, questioning whether Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald and her predecessor Conor Murphy meant "the business of war & genocide" when they spoke of Northern Ireland being "Open for Business".
Mac Seáin referenced recent incidents including him being pepper sprayed and batoned by the public order unit at a peaceful protest at Dublin port last week, stating his friend's wrist was broken despite him raising his hands in a surrender position. He called for broadening the movement into workplaces and education centres, urging continued support for lunchtime stand-outs for Palestine at Kildare St in Newry this Thursday 16 October.
The rally concluded with calls for a full cutting of ties not only with Israel but with what Mac Seáin described as a "rush towards militarisation internationally", stating the solidarity movement stands against genocide and with oppressed peoples everywhere using tools including boycotts, strikes and blockades.
