Renowned singer/songwriter Damien Dempsey will perform at the National Demonstration for Freedom and Justice in Palestine on Saturday, 9th August. The demonstration, organised by the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign, begins at 2.00 p.m. at The Spire on Dublin's O’Connell Street where participants will march to the Israeli embassy on Pembroke Road. Bus loads of people from all over Ireland are set to arrive in Dublin to join the march in a show of solidarity with the Palestinian people. The demonstration is being supported by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, Mandate, Gaza Action Ireland, TEEU (The Power Union), Academics for Palestine, Irish Anti-War Movement, Sadaka – The Ireland Palestine Alliance, Peace and Neutrality Alliance, NUIG Palestine Solidarity Society, Irish Friends of Palestine and Derry Anti-War Coalition and many ad hoc local groups that have sprung up across the island. After Israel’s month-long assault on the Gaza strip at least 1,893 residents have been killed and over 9800 injured. The UN have confirmed that the vast majority of those killed were civilians amongst them over 400 children. Hospitals, homes and essential infrastructure have all been targeted making life for those still alive in Gaza unbearable. Close to 300,000 people have been internally displaced in Gaza and medics and UN Officials alike have stressed that there is literally no safe place to shelter from Israeli aggression in Gaza. With news that Israel has ended the 72 hour ceasefire by resuming it’s airstrikes on Gaza the humanitarian crisis there can only worsen. IPSC Spokesperson, Freda Hughes, said, “Any ceasefire agreement must include an end to the siege and brutal occupation of Palestine to be just and meaningful. We are calling for a National Demonstration to show just how many people nationwide are appalled by Israel’s ongoing injustice against the Palestinian people. The march will also call on people to boycott Israeli goods until such a time as Israel complies fully with international law and respects the human rights of Palestinians. Hughes continued, “Boycotting is an extremely effective way for individuals to collectively apply the necessary pressure to isolate Israel for its apartheid policies towards the Palestinian people, blatant disregard for human rights and flagrant abuse of international law. Israel acts with impunity because the international community allows it to. Where governments fail to act civil society must. We need to emulate the methods that isolated apartheid South Africa to help to end the brutal occupation of Palestine.”
Damien Dempsey to perform at National Demonstration for Palestine on Saturday
