Workers Solidarity Movement

Almost one hundred Castlebar locals and members of local political groups including Workers Solidarity Movement took to the streets holding a vigil in solidarity with the people of Gaza and the activists murdered by IDF forces. A strong message of outrage at these atrocities and anger at the continuing siege of Gaza was relayed from speakers and the protesters. Calls for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against the Isreali state were prominent from those assembled. Further protests are planned throughout the Mayo area including plans for a Mayo Trade Boycott.

One of the main myths of those who support the Zionist state of Israel is that all Jews, inside and outside of Isreal support that state.  In fact there is small but significant opposition to the oppression of the Palestians from people of Jewish background inside of Isreal.  Since the Israeli military attacked the Freedom Flotilla there have been onging demonstrations agains the attack in Isreal itself, demonstrations that have been largely ignore by Israeli and international media.

This is the recording of the 'Israeli Apartheid, BDS and Grassroots Resistance in Palestine' from the 2010 anarchist bookfair. The speaker is Freda Hughes from the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign. Topics covered in the one hour audio include the apartheid wall and settlements, experiences of the occupied territories, popular committees and Bi'lin, the cage protest and other direct actions, how Israeli activists argue for the boycott, Zionism, the freedom flotilla, Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions.

The Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) has called a mass demonstration for 2pm this Saturday in Dublin at which the Freedom Flotilla deportees will speak. The demonstration will assemble at 2pm at the Garden of Remembrance and from there will march to the Department of Foreign Affairs on St. Stephen's Green.

Between 6p.m. and 8p.m. Monday evening a dozen or more of the city's Palestine solidarity activists held a vigil on Patrick St. To remember the 19 people slain when Israeli commandos wantonly attacked the Freedom Flotilla on its way to Gaza to break the illegal blockade imposed by Israel and deliver much-needed humanitarian aid. This evening's vigil followed a well-attended static protest against Israel's murderous attack on the international aid convoy at Daunt Sq. this afternoon. The people at that protest went on to briefly picket the main supermarkets in the city centre to persuade shoppers to boycott Israeli produce and force that murderous rogue state to respect human rights and desist from their oppression of Palestinians and end the occupation of their land.

Over two thousand people took to the streets of Dublin last night to protest the bloody attack by the Israeli military on the Freedom flotilla to Gaza which left between 9 and 19 people dead and dozens injured. The assembled crowd heard that least five people from Ireland were now in an Israeli jail awaiting trial for refusing to co-operate with being deported from a country they had been brought to against their will, after their ships were hijacked by the heavily armed pirates of the IDF.

The Israeli military have released a video which claims to show heroic passengers attempting to beat back the IDF pirates that are boarding their ship in order to hijack it. Although of course that is not the spin that the IDF put on it.

Protests are to take place in Dublin, Sligo, Galway, Belfast, Derry,  Monaghan & Cork today against the act of international piracy by the Israeli military last night when they attacked a flotilla bringing humanitarian aid to Gaza . The Globe & Mail is reporting that 19 people have been killed in an attack staged last night. The flotilla of six ships called the “freedom flotilla” includes one from the Ireland called the Rachel Corrie, named after the American activist murdered by the IDF in 2003. At least 8 Irish people are on board various ships in the flotilla.

Does it exist today? Did it ever exist? Or does it not matter because we all suffer under capitalism. In this discussion Finbar Dwyer looks at imperialism and whether its a useful way to look at society and oppression in 21st century. May 19th at 18.30 in Seomra Sprao

Friday April 30th Irish activists joined the weekly protests of the Palestinian community of Bil'in against the apartheid wall.  The focus this week was on the investment by the Irish Cement Roadstone Holdings company in an Israeli company that has a large portion of the contracts for building the wall.  As usual the military attacked the protesters with tear gas and one Irish activist filmed the video below of this attack and his subsequent arrest.