MORE than 500 people took to the streets of Limerick on Saturday, August 2 to protest against the ongoing Israeli military attacks on Gaza.
A number of well-known figures, including former Munster, Leinster and Ireland rugby player Trevor Hogan and peace activist Margaretta D’Arcy have taken part in demonstrations in Limerick in recent weeks.
Zoe Lawlor, of the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) told the Limerick Post: “The solidarity campaign in Limerick, and all over Ireland is really growing in the face of these latest atrocities committed by Israel against the Palestinian people. I’ve never seen so much mobilisation all over the country and never seen so many people anxious to get involved.
“We had more than 500 people last Saturday and there was a family from Gaza, from Rafah there. The woman’s cousin had been killed in Rafah the night before.”
Ms Lawlor, a lecturer at UL and co-coordinator of Gaza Action Ireland, also revealed that there is widespread support in Limerick for a campaign to boycott Israeli goods.
“We had queues of people to sign our petition to Dunnes Stores asking them to stop selling produce from illegal Israeli settlements,” she explained.
“People are also totally disgusted at the Irish government’s shameful decision to abstain from the UN resolution to investigate Israel’s war crimes in Palestine and are very much saying that the government doesn’t represent the people on this. The call for the expulsion of the Israeli Ambassador gets loud cheers every time we make it.”
According to the IPSC, almost 2,000 people have been killed in Gaza, hundreds of them children, and more than 9,000 have been injured.
Anti-war group Shannonwatch is also calling on the Irish government to ensure that no ammunition supplies travel from the US to Israel through Ireland.
Shannonwatch spokesperson John Lannon commented: “In recent days the US Department of Defence has confirmed the supply of more ammunition to Israel, despite its ongoing indiscriminate killing of civilians in Gaza.
“Many of the military airlift contractors that are likely to supply this ammunition pass through Shannon Airport regularly. It is vitally important that the Irish authorities do everything they can to ensure these carriers are not assisting the Israeli attacks on Gaza. That includes inspection of contracted US military aircraft, and an end to the granting of permits to take weapons and munitions through Shannon Airport.”
Meanwhile, Sinn Féin councillor Maurice Quinlivan is urging more Limerick people to get behind the campaign.
“I would urge all Limerick people to show their opposition to Israel’s policies against the Palestinian people and their violations of international law by participating in a consumer boycott of Israeli goods and services.”
