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A public Gaza protest is currently being held every Thursday at 7pm outside Finegan & Son Café in Kildare Street in Newry. At last week's protest, Newry City Councillor Cathal King said that immediate action is needed to end systematic genocide and starvation of Gazans.
Cllr King said that while Britain’s announced intention to recognise the State of Palestine is welcome, it must also take genuine action to end the genocide in Gaza and occupation of all Palestinian Territories.
“Although reluctant and long overdue, the British government’s decision to recognise the State of Palestine is welcome, following in the footsteps of the Irish government, Spain, Norway, and a similar announcement by the French government.
“But the immediate issue remains: the systematic genocide and starvation of Gazans, daily massacres and atrocities engineered by an out-of-control Israeli regime, and all of this being aided by the US and Britain.
“Thousands of innocent children and families are on the brink of being annihilated due to the use of hunger as a weapon of war against innocents across the Strip.
“Unfettered humanitarian aid must be allowed into Gaza on a mass scale immediately.
Cllr King continued: “The British government must end its complicity in this genocide, stop speaking from both sides of its mouth, and bring real pressure to bear on Israel and the US to deliver an immediate and permanent ceasefire. It can do that by also imposing an immediate arms embargo upon Israel and terminating its funding of the Israeli murder machine.
“These are the steps which Britain must also take to contribute towards a peace settlement that guarantees a free and independent Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital, full reconstruction of Gaza, an end to the Israeli system of apartheid, and the release of all political prisoners and hostages.
"Sinn Féin will continue standing up for the Palestinian people and we will be standing in solidarity at the weekly Gaza Protests, held every Thursday evening on Kildare Street outside Finegan and Son Café, at 7pm."
