A sit down protest over Gaza brought traffic in Dublin to a standstill last night.
The pro-Palestinian demonstration began outside Government buildings on Kildare Street, before hundreds of activists moved across the city to block traffic on O'Connell Bridge during evening rush hour.
'Social Rights Ireland', a group which describes itself as ‘anti-imperialist, anti-capitalist and anti-Zionist’, documented the protest on social media.
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“Free, free, free Palestine,” the crowd chanted.
“One, we are the people.
“Two, we won’t be silenced.
“Three, stop the bombing, now, now, now.”
Ceasefire broken
Earlier this week, Israel broke the ceasefire agreed with Hamas and launched an attack on Gaza.
Local officials estimate that hundreds of people died but an Israeli Government spokesperson said that half were terrorists.
“The terrorist-per-civilian rate… is the lowest of any war in the last 100-years,” Fleur Hassan-Nahoum told Newstalk Breakfast.
“Including the one that the Allies - the UK, the US did in order to get rid of ISIS - which was one-to-nine.”
She added that Hamas bears ultimate responsibility for the deaths of civilians following their decision to attack Israel on October 7th.
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In the aftermath, UN Special Rapporteur to Occupied Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese, told The Hard Shoulder that the plight of the Palestinian people was a "tragedy foretold".
"It's just ingorance and misconceptions that has prevented many - including myself - to understand and give a name to what the Palestinians were enduring," she said.
Ms Albanese added that she "never thought" she would use the term 'genocide' to describe what is happening in Palestine, but now believes that is the case.
The South African Government has taken a case in the International Criminal Court, which argues that Israel's actions in Gaza constitute genocide.
Main image: A pro-Palestine demonstration in Dublin. Image: Social Rights Ireland
