"Boycott Israel" Demonstration Tours Dublin Shopping Centres

dublin | anti-war / imperialism | news report Sunday January 18, 2009 20:28 by Cormac Mac Gall

Demonstrators brave torrential rain and storm-force winds

Palestinian solidarity demonstration on Saturday 17th January toured Dublin city centre streets vociferously calling for a boycott of Israeli goods in solidarity with the Palestinians while other boycott actions also took place in the city.

In pouring rain and storm-force winds that elsewhere in Ireland brought down trees and power-lines, about 2,000 demonstrators set out from the Central Bank plaza in Dame Street yesterday. The demonstration was organised by the Irish Anti-War Movement and was the latest in Gaza-solidarity actions in the city organised by them or by the Irish Palestine Solidarity Campaign since the Israeli bombardment of Gaza began.

This demonstration had been organised to focus on boycotting Israeli goods in shops. Flying national Palestinian flags and some organisational banners, the demonstrators marched across O'Connell Bridge and up Dublin's main street; by the time they turned left at the Parnell Monument many of the placards had disintegrated in the rain and wind. However, the demonstrators' spirits appeared undampened as they took up the slogans of "Boycott Israel!", "Free, free Gaza!" , "All of us -- Gaza!" and shouting "Terrorist!" in turn after the names of Israeli government ministers were called out .

After halting once outside a supermarket in Parnell Street, they marched on and turned left into Caple Street, then left again into Mary Street. At the junction with Jervis Street the Gardaí halted the lead demonstrators -- it was clear that they did not wish them to continue down and into Henry Street, two of Dublin's premier shopping streets. The Gardaí were successful in preventing progress by the lead banner but their cordon leaked demonstrators who continued until they came in front of the Main doorway of the Jervis Street Mall. There they faced the entrance and loudly repeated their call for a boycott of Israeli goods.

Meanwhile, the IPSC had organised a number of actions and one of those was in the Mall itself, where demonstrators had unfurled a banner near two stalls selling crafts made by Israeli servicemen and ex-soldiers. The Mall security asked them to move but the protesters refused and then they attempted to remove the banner. Unsuccessful in that attempt, they summoned additional security from other shops and together tried to manhandle the protestors outside. The protestors successfully resisted this also and then, during a lull, terminated their protest, furled their banner and left, joining the demonstrators from the IWA march who had by then reached the main doorway.

The shouting crowd and flags appeared to cause some excitement among inner-city working class youth who tend to congregate in the shopping areas at weekends who then began to phone people on their mobile phones and then held up the handsets to pick up the slogans from the crowd and also took photographs. Many of the youth also took up the pro-Palestinian slogans and shouted for a boycott of Israel.

After awhile, the march retraced its earlier steps down Mary Street and, turning left at Capel Street, proceeded to cross over the bridge where the wind tore at sodden banners, flags and clothes. Reaching the relative shelter of Parliament Street, they continued in full voice, turning left into Dame Street and then right into Great Georges Street, coming to a halt outside the Dunn's Story food supermarket there. Apparently some action had taken place there too and there were loud cheers when IWM leaders announced to the crowd that Dunn's Store had given an undertaking that they would no longer stock any Israeli goods. (At the time of writing this writer has been unable to confirm this statement or to get a comment from Dunn's Stores).

The demonstrators then turned in high spirits and retraced their steps to Dame Street, where they turned right to finish at the Central Bank plaza, then to disperse homeward to dry their clothes or into nearby cafes and pubs for hot soup or something stronger.

The previous morning, a small demonstration had been organised at very short notice by the IPSC at City Hall to denounce the Israeli Ambassador who had been invited to explain his government's actions to Dublin City Council. The demonstrators carried placards calling for the expulsion of the Ambassador and the boycott of Israeli goods, as well shouting slogans to the same effect. The banner of the IPSC and a large banner in the Palestinian national colours were prominent, while another banner was covered in children's handprints in red along with the names of some of the more than 400 Palestinian children killed written on it also.

The Ambassador was taken into the Council chamber through a back entrance while shouts of "Stop killing the children!", "Stop bombing the hospitals!" and "Stop bombing the schools" resounded outside, along with other slogans calling various Israeli ministers "terrorists". Inside, SF Councillor Aengus Ó Snodaigh likened the Israeli Ambassador's account and explanation of his Government's actions to the propaganda of the Nazi regime's Goebbels (see Indojourno article on the Irish Times article on this and TD Alan Shatter's comments, as well as discussion in readers' comments).

Artists are planning a protest at 11.30am tomorrow outside the Israeli Embassy and a protest is also planned for next weekend in O'Connell Street; there may be other events in the intervening period (check IWA and IPSC websites or offices by phone) .