On Saturday October 4th, thousands marched through Dublin in a pro-Palestine demonstration that set off from the Garden of Remembrance and finished outside Leinster House. Organisers with the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) estimated the turnout at more than 25,000.
Placards calling for sanctions on Israel and an end to the genocide in Gaza dominated the march. From Parnell Square down O’Connell Street and over the river, the crowd kept up steady chants and stopped for speeches highlighting the situation in Gaza and recent events at sea.
At Leinster House, speakers referenced the Global Sumud Flotilla and the detention of Irish participants after the convoy was intercepted this week. Families of those involved addressed the rally alongside elected representatives, urging the Government to “match words with action” and to progress measures such as the Occupied Territories Bill.
Part of the protest went to the Dublin Port Tunnel. This escalated when a group moved to breach a Garda cordon. Gardaí said they established the line to prevent the tunnel from being blocked and to keep traffic flowing on key routes. Members of the Public Order Unit deployed incapacitant (pepper) spray during the confrontation at two separate entry points to the port, the North Wall and East Wall. They wore riot gear at the second entry point and advanced on protesters, wielding shields and batons to push them out of the port area. The group was composed of about 150 people, and “dozens were pepper-sprayed in the eyes and mouth” according to protester and Trinity student David Wolfe. Wolfe also said, “None of us heard a warning that we would be pepper-sprayed”. Another protester, Patrick Flynn of Student Neutrality Front, said that following the pepper spray, he “couldn’t see for [sic] 40 minutes and had to take out [his] contacts”.
Witnesses at the scene have also described people being “beaten with batons” on East Wall Road and protesters “injured by being stamped on with steel-capped boots”.
Two people were reportedly arrested for public order offences.
Flynn noted, “I also think it’s important to realise why this action took place: we recognise that symbolic marches are ineffective”. He said, “these moderate rallies simply do not generate the leverage needed to force change”.
The city-centre march was peaceful, with stewards funnelling people along the route and rally organisers emphasising non-violence. The turnout was described as the materialisation of continuing public concern, while speakers and participants argued that Ireland should take further steps at the EU level and domestically on trade and aviation to limit support for Israel’s military campaign.
While Garda operations were focused on keeping the port open, the day underlined how strongly the genocide in Gaza continues to resonate here. With organisers pledging more actions, and with flotilla developments still unfolding, this issue is likely to remain on the streets and on the political agenda in the weeks ahead.
The Dublin rally formed part of a wider wave of international demonstrations held this weekend across Europe and beyond. Tens of thousands gathered in London, Paris, Berlin and Madrid, calling for a ceasefire and an end to genocide in Gaza. Organisers of the Irish march said the coordinated global actions show that public outrage is not confined to one country, but represents a growing international demand for accountability, humanitarian access and meaningful political intervention to stop the ongoing suffering of civilians in Gaza.
With additional reporting by Charlie Hastings.
