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The Parades Commission has approved the Great March for Gaza which will travel along the towpath between Lurgan and Newry this weekend. They have placed conditions on the event to prevent clashes at Scarva where a counter-protest is expected. Marchers will not be permitted to join the route in the village.
The decision means the march, organised by the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC), can proceed as planned.
IPSC Newry Joint-Chair Marc Mac Seáin, one of the organisers for the march, said: "Despite sickening attempts to sectarianise our solidarity march, we'll continue undeterred. Those of all backgrounds are welcome & solidarity against Genocide, Imperialism is by nature non-exclusionary."
Mac Seáin also pointed to what he described as government complicity in the conflict, saying: "We call out the complicity of our government at every level through use of our airports & skies bringing weapons to Israel, refusing to sanction, investing in firms regionally which actively supply Israel's war machine and the criminalising of those who protest these facts."
He added: "As the reprehensible actions of both Israel & America provoke significant problems for the world economy which affect us all, it's only common sense to join us and publicly agitate against the ways the sick war machine is supported in Ireland."
The IPSC Newry Joint-Chair also directed a message at those planning to oppose the march. He said: "We would urge any counter-protesters to consider what they are opposing with our march, and by effect what cause they are supporting in opposition to us. We saw a lot of Israel flags on small counter-protests last year. The brutal actions of Israel & their American allies are widely understood as genocidal, along with hurting the livelihoods of working people all over the globe. It's only common sense to agitate against Zionism & its horrible consequences."
