Two individuals have been taken into custody after pro-Palestinian protesters breached a Garda barrier at Dublin’s Port Tunnel, reports Breaking News.
The public order incident occurred in East Wall, where pepper spray was deployed as demonstrators tried to push through Gardaí in an attempt to access the tunnel.
Both individuals are being held on public order charges and have been taken to Garda stations in the Dublin region, reports Breaking News.
Officers from the Garda National Public Order Unit, dressed in ‘soft cap’ uniforms, were deployed to the area, but no injuries have been reported.
The demonstration has now concluded, and Gardaí have said that traffic is returning to normal.
The incident followed a larger pro-Palestinian march earlier on Saturday, where thousands gathered in Dublin, reports Breaking News.
According to organisers, the demonstration was held to mark “two years of genocide in Gaza” and called for the Irish Government to impose sanctions on Israel.
This is the 17th protest organised by the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC), which has brought tens of thousands to the streets of the capital over the last two years, reports Breaking News.
Saturday’s march began at the Garden of Remembrance on Parnell Square and was scheduled to finish at Leinster House, where speeches were planned.
The rally, which started just after a weather warning related to Storm Amy ended, also included live music, reports Breaking News.
Participants carried banners and Palestinian flags, with representation from left-wing political parties and trade unions.
The protest followed reports that 16 Irish nationals were among those detained by Israel after its interception of the global sumud flotilla, which was delivering aid to Gaza.
Ahead of the demonstration, IPSC chairwoman Zoe Lawlor said Gaza has faced a “savage food and aid blockade for months,” citing local health sources reporting 66,000 deaths in the region, reports Breaking News.
She also took aim at the Irish Government, including Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Harris.
Ms Lawlor said: “Between 50 and 100 people are still being killed every day, and more than 100 more Palestinians were murdered over the past 24 hours, reports Breaking News.
“We have also seen the illegal interception of the global sumud flotilla in international waters and the detention of hundreds of activists, including many Irish citizens, trying to deliver aid to Gaza.
“The response of Western powers has been to keep sending guns, bombs, and tech to murder Palestinians, reports Breaking News.
“Sadly, Ireland is little different. Simon Harris has called Israel’s actions ‘genocide’, ‘unconscionable’ and ‘unacceptable’ — yet the Irish Government is barely lifting a finger to end Ireland’s deep complicity in this genocide.”
The IPSC is urging the Government to pass the Occupied Territories Bill, which would prohibit trade and services with illegal Israeli settlements.
Protesters earlier also demanded that the GAA terminate its sponsorship deal with Allianz, reports Breaking News.
While the GAA held a special congress at Croke Park, approximately 50 demonstrators gathered outside the Hogan Stand entrance.
Groups Dubs for Palestine and Gaels against Genocide in Gaza stated they had sent letters to the GAA, asking it to sever its sponsorship ties with Allianz, which supports the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, reports Breaking News.
They accused the insurance company of links to businesses that are complicit in Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
The organisations also criticised the GAA for not addressing their concerns and voiced frustration that the issue was not part of the agenda at the special congress, reports Breaking News.
They further accused the GAA of commercialising Irish culture, also referencing criticism of a recent NFL event hosted at Croke Park.
Both Allianz and the GAA have been approached for a response, reports Breaking News.
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