At approximately 2pm today, the Trinity BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) Campaign held a flash protest calling for the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador.
The demonstration began at Leinster House, before marching to the Department of Foreign Affairs on St Stephen’s Green. Videos posted on Trinity BDS’s social media saw protestors enter the foyer of the building where they then sat on the ground. More protestors gathered outside by the building’s entrance.
Protestors could be heard chanting: “Free, free Palestine,” and “louder, louder say it more, not a conflict, not a war”.
A tweet on the Trinity BDS Twitter page read: “We’re occupying the Department of Foreign Affairs now demanding that the Irish government expel the Israeli ambassador, cease all trade with Israel immediately and impose economic and political sanctions on Israel”.
The post also encouraged people to come to the Department of Foreign Affairs to support.
At 3.04pm, Trinity BDS announced that four Gardaí had arrived on the scene. In a video streamed live to the campaign group’s Facebook page, Gardaí can be seen standing inside the department building watching the protestors. The group said on Twitter that they were “Still here, not going anywhere anytime soon”.
This protest follows a series of events held on May 22 as part of a global day of action in support of the Palestinian people. Protests were held across the country, with the largest taking place in Dublin.
Thousands marched from the Spire to the Israeli embassy in Ballsbridge.
Trinity BDS wrote on Twitter that: “Despite recently agreeing to a “ceasefire” with Hamas, Israel has continued to persecute Palestinian people across historic Palestine The ceasefire does not apply to Israel’s apartheid, racist, settler-colonial regime and military occupation of Palestine”.
Speaking to Trinity News, Sadhbh Mac Lochlainn, an activist involved with Trinity BDS said: “It’s important that we continue to keep political pressure up despite the ceasefire. It’s really important that the Irish government feels pressure to expel the Israeli ambassador and put in place both political and economic sanctions against the state of Israel which is a racist apartheid state”.
This article was updated at 20.41 on June 22 to include a statement from a Trinity BDS spokesperson.
