Individuals attending a peace rally on Dublin’s O’Connell Street were informed that expressing disapproval against Israel’s continuous war engagement in Gaza amounted to more than just acknowledging its casualty toll – reaching a staggering 40,000 lives since the start of the attack. Instead, the attendees were made aware that their protest was a significant step towards finding a solution.
Approximately 500 individuals joined the rally, which initiated outside the Dáil. In solidarity, they silently walked to the Spire while speeches demanding sanctions over Israel and an immediate ceasefire echoed around them.
This demonstration was among 30 others happening simultaneously across the nation, organised by a group of anti-war organisations to observe the 300th day of the invasion. The invasion was a repercussion of an attack on Israel on October 7th, which resulted in the death of 1,200 individuals. Post the day of the attack, abductions of a further 250 civilians and military staff, as well as the mass murder of hundreds of civilians took place.
Speakers at the vigil shared the heartbreaking fact that on average, 70 children lost their lives daily in Gaza following the invasion. The speakers included Salah Altanany, a Gaza citizen now residing in Ireland with his wife and two kids who fled Gaza earlier that year. Altanany highlighted that the past 300 days had not only been devastating to the lives, ambitions, jobs, homes, and cherished memories of the people living in Gaza, but it also stripped the world of much of its humanity.
Betty Purcell, a representative from the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign, referred to a recent Lancet study, indicating that the real casualty figure may be much higher than the official count, as numerous deaths have remained undiscovered or unverified due to the extensive level of damage caused by the conflict. She condemned the horrifying catastrophe unfolding in front of the world through social media and television. Purcell concluded her speech by commending the many Palestinian journalists who lost their lives covering the conflict since its inception.
“She voiced that it’s crucial for the Irish administration to respond with sanctions against Israel, perceived as planning further escalation. This sentiment was seconded by Talha AlAli, a resident of Ireland hailing from the West Bank, who is also an activist and artist. He suggested that many governments are deteriorating their domestic democracies by their inaction to curtail the bombardment, foregoing weapons supply – a move their citizens would prefer. However, he argued, this is simply a repeat of a well-known sequence. “It’s a globally recurring story,” he asserted. “Destruction befell Iraq, after which they were offered loans for reconstruction. The situation has been the same in Syria, identical in Libya. However, hope persists for as long as citizens continue to demonstrate” he concluded.