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A Newry-based solidarity group is marking two years of campaigning with a march through the city in October as they continue their protests against the ongoing conflict in Gaza and what they describe as a century of settler-colonialism.
The Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) Newry branch will hold their commemoration march on Saturday 11 October, exactly two years after the group was formed on 11 October 2023. The event will begin at 12 noon on Clanrye Avenue at Jennings Park Newsagents, with participants walking along Monaghan Street before concluding with a rally and speakers in Marcus Square around 12.40pm.
The march is open to all supporters. Groups and organisations wishing to participate are encouraged to contact the branch at newry@ipsc.ie to coordinate their involvement.
Marc Mac Seáin, Chairperson of IPSC Newry, reflected on the group's formation and the continuing nature of the conflict they're protesting against. "We formed our IPSC branch with a protest on 11th October 2023, well aware that Zionist carnage was being wrought upon Gaza again, yet we never expected that 2 years later (to the day) it would be continuing. Nor that we'd be looking at a death toll in the hundreds of thousands."
Mac Seáin outlined what he sees as the group's role within a broader activist network across Ireland. "We have played our part in a network of activists across Ireland try to pressure Western governments to end their complicity in genocide & whilst we have had minor wins which show a weakening of support for Zionism, we must keep the foot on the peddle to see a complete isolation of Israel, dismantling of their apartheid regime & demands met of the Palestinian people in their long running struggle for self determination."
The IPSC Newry chairperson also detailed specific policy changes the group is advocating for. "We must see an end to transit of weapons & bombs through Shannon, Aldergrove airports & our skies. We must see full sanctions, the Occupied Territories Bill including services and applied to the whole of Israel. We must see an end to government funding of firms which form part of Israel's military supply chain (such as with InvestNI) and a ban of the arms trade to supply it."
The weekend march represents a significant milestone for the local branch, which has maintained its campaign activities throughout the two-year period since its establishment. As the group marks this anniversary, they continue to call for policy changes at both local and national level whilst maintaining their solidarity with what they describe as the Palestinian struggle for self-determination.
