Protesters in Dublin have taken part in a silent demonstration to mark 300 days of the war in Gaza.
The protest, organised by a dozen solidarity, anti-war and student groups, began at the Dáil with demonstrators wearing dark clothes.
A number of people held 70 individual native Irish Ox-eye daisy wildflowers with one flower for each of the 70 children killed on average per day in Gaza.
Those taking part in the peace march made their way to the Spire on O’Connell Street in silence where they joined a vigil with 70 life-size child silhouettes.
The event is co-organised by the Apartheid Free Arts; Irish Artists for Palestine; Irish Creative Arts Therapists for Palestine; Irish Occupational Therapists for Palestine; Irish Health Care Workers for Palestine; Irish Psychologists for Palestine; Mothers Against Genocide; Pals for Palestine; Teachers for Palestine; The Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC); The Irish Anti-war Movement and The Union of Students in Ireland.
Mahmoud Al-Azab, a Palestinian refugee from Jordan, who has lived in Ireland for five months, told the crowd that innocent people in Gaza are suffering under the “brutal acts of genocide perpetrated by the Zionist regime”.
“The atrocities in Gaza are a stain on the conscience of the international community,” he added.
“We cannot remain silent in the face of such overwhelming evidence of human rights violations.
“It is our moral duty to speak out, to protest, and to demand action.
“Today, I call upon the Irish Government to intensify its efforts and take a firm stance against these crimes.
“Ireland has a proud history of standing up for justice and human rights.”
IPSC vice chairwoman, Fatin Al Tamimi, whose sister remains trapped in Gaza said: “Today marks the 300th day of apartheid, Israel’s relentless genocide against my people in Gaza.
“For 300 days we have seen on our screens, the live-streamed murder of children, men and women on an unprecedented and cruel scale – while the western powers do nothing to stop it.
“Almost 40,000 Palestinians have been confirmed killed, with many thousands more missing, maimed or dying of thirst, starvation and disease.
“The health, education, sanitation and transport infrastructure has been eradicated, homes reduced to rubble and almost the entire population of Gaza has been forced to flee repeatedly.
“Children have suffered more in this assault than in any other modern war.
“On average, 70 children have been killed every day since the genocidal assault on Gaza began.
“Ten children a day, on average, have had limbs amputated. Daily the people of Gaza face severe lack of water, food and shelter as well as the constant threat of attack, injury and death.
“We are calling on the Irish Government to take action to sanction Israel for these terrible crimes – including enacting the Occupied Territories Bill, the Illegal Israel Settlements Divestment Bill, and the Arms Embargo Bill to ensure that all US planes that go through Shannon are inspected for weapons.
“The Irish Government has a duty to ensure that Ireland is not in any way complicit in genocide, apartheid, or occupation.
“In the face of possible transport of arms through Shannon, inaction is complicity. The export of dual use goods which can be used in the killing and oppression of the Palestinian people must also end immediately.”
