By Róise Collins
A large crowd gathered in Letterkenny on Saturday afternoon for a rally in response to Israel’s breaking of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
A sea of Palestinian flags marched from the hospital to An Grianán Theatre, where participants flooded the forecourt.
There, Cllr Declan Meehan delivered a rousing speech on behalf of the Donegal County Councillors in attendance.
He spoke strongly about the importance of both the Occupied Territories Bill and the Arms Embargo Bill, which are designed to pressure Israel to cease its apartheid regime and end the genocide of Palestinians. Both bills have been stalled by successive governments.
Cllr Meehan and Cllr Jimmy Brogan recently introduced a motion, which was unanimously passed by Donegal County Councillors, calling for the government to enact the Occupied Territories Bill.
“The government parties in November promised the electorate that they would enact the Occupied Territories Bill, and what have they done since they formed and reformed the same government again?” said Cllr Meehan.
“They’ve kicked it down the line and attempted to water down the Occupied Territories Bill. That is exactly and straight out of the playbook of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil when it comes to key issues that we care about.
“They gaslight us, lie to us, and kick the can down the road. But we are not going to let that happen.
“We need to make sure our voices are heard, to amplify the voices of Palestinians, and ensure that whatever this Irish government can do is done. As a very basic start, the Occupied Territories Bill needs to be enacted immediately,” Cllr Meehan stressed.
A young woman with a poignant poster.
During his powerful speech, he also called for the Arms Embargo Bill to be enacted, describing it as a crucial piece of legislation.
“Our airspace is being used and abused by the United States of America and Israel, who are facilitating genocide by transporting weapons and armaments. That is not good enough. We have to say no; we cannot be complicit in this genocide.
“We have to do everything within our power to stand up against that.
“It’s not good enough for this Irish government to constantly avoid what needs to be done out of fear of two tyrants leading two terrorist states.
“It’s time for Ireland to stand on its own two feet and say no to oppression, no to genocide, and stand up tall and proud with the people of Palestine,” he concluded.
A number of speakers addressed the crowd, including Fadl Mustapha from the Donegal branch of the Irish Palestinian Solidarity Campaign, Dr Tomas McBride from Healthcare Workers for Palestine, who organises the weekly Healthcare Workers Vigil at Letterkenny University Hospital, and Caroline White, President of the ATU Palestine Solidarity Society.
Donegal Senator Eileen Flynn, one of the co-sponsors of both the Occupied Territories Bill and the Arms Embargo Bill in the Oireachtas, was scheduled to speak at the event but regrettably couldn’t make it.
Local activist Anne McLean read a speech on behalf of Senator Flynn, outlining the devastating impact of the Israeli assault on the civilian population of Palestine.
A young family attending the rally in Letterkenny.
“For far too long the world has watched as over 46,000 lives have been erased, nearly half of them children, and as 90 per cent of Gaza’s population has been displaced, starved, and traumatised under a relentless assault.
“These are not statistics. They are families, dreams, and futures reduced to rubble,” she said.
“The term genocide is not used lightly, but when hospitals, universities, and refugee camps are systematically obliterated, when an entire population is denied food and medicine, the intent is undeniable.
“Ireland must not only end its complicity but actively use every diplomatic and legislative tool to pressure allies to halt this slaughter.”
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