Still Standing

The WHO and UNRWA now estimates that of the 34,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza, about 14,000 were children (Egypt Today). 18 were killed in a single explosion in Rafah yesterday (AP). This new board in west Belfast illustrates the disparity between Israeli forces and ordinary Palestinians by showing children in ragged clothing armed only with a single, odd-looking (AI hallucinated?), slingshot facing off against other children armed with assault rifles and wearing riot gear.

Of the RNU social-media handles along the bottom, only the Facebook and TikTok ones actually work.

Previously, from 2018: RNU Stands With Palestine.

Northumberland Street, west Belfast; later with a knotwork surround – see T08102.

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Let The Fight Go On

This is a west Belfast instance of INLA graffiti – seen previously in Derry (Saoırse Go Deo) – celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the group’s founding, in December, 1974.

The Lasaır Dhearg (web | tw) stencils go back to 2020; see Britain’s Occupation Of Ireland.

Waterford St, west Belfast, replacing Victory To The [Palestinian] Resistance.

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Easter Commemoration

This RNU (Fb) board calls for attendees at a gathering in Milltown cemetery to commemorate the Easter Rising of 1916. The signatories to the Proclamation can be seen above and behing the large Óglaıgh Na hÉıreann gravestone on the right.

Glen Road, on the grounds of the old Andersonstown RUC barracks.

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Though An Army Besiege Me, My Heart Will Not Fear

In 2000, during the Second Intifada, Palestinian teenager Faris Odeh was photographed by an AP photographer in the act of throwing a stone at an Israeli tank. He was shot and killed a few days later and the image became a symbol of resistance. (A mural of the photograph was painted in Springhill: see David And Goliath.) The iconic image is updated here for Israel’s current invasion of Gaza, showing a young girl with a soft toy standing in front of a tank that is bedecked with the flags of the European Union, France, the USA, the UK, and Germany.

The F-16 jets and rubble and child with teddy-bear are the same as in the We Stand With Palestine mural in Ardoyne.

For the teddy-bears and soft toys, see Boycott Israeli Genocide and It Could Be You.

For the Easter Rising mural, see The Undauntable Thought.

South Link, Andersonstown, west Belfast. Launched November 18th, 2023 (PD Fb).

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from the river to the sea will be free Mickey Doherty

Land Grab

The “Put it back, thief” imagery is applied here to Palestine and Israel, except that there is no piece of territory in the Israeli arm, only a grasping hand, and the slogan is “Saoırse don Phalaıstín”.

In case you need any reminding of the trope, a close-up from the Kneecap mural in Hawthorn Street is included directly below; in CNR muraling, the imagery dates back to Stad Maggie Anoıs (1986) and England Get Out Of Ireland (1989). Similar imagery, based on a Soviet poster, was seen recently in Give It Back, Thief, concerning Lough Neagh.

Finally below is “An Phalaıstín” with the flag as a shield, as though the country were a sporting club.

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Road Rage Ruth

Here are a few pieces from the so-called “peace” line dividing CNR and PUL west Belfast, featuring, above, ‘Road rage Ruth’ by Kilian (ig). Previously by Kilian on the “peace” line: The Brain Is Wider Than The Sky. See also the works done for HTN23, HTN22, and HTN21.

For wild-style from December (2023) see Bombing The “Peace” Line. For ten or so pieces of street art and wild-style writing on the wall from May 2023, see Ready To Rumble.

The obscured piece by Bust and the “World Wall Stylers” tag can be seen in better condition in New Levels, Same Devils (2022). “Ríoghnach” is an Irish-language name.

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Ban Israeli Goods

Here is an assortment of images concerning boycotts of Israeli goods in response to the invasion of Gaza. Above, “Ban Israeli goods” on the wall of the Alexandra Park Tesco, north Belfast; below, V-for-victory fingers as scissors snipping barbed wire (bdsmovement.net) in a shop window in Andersonstown, west Belfast; “BDS” [Boycott, divestment, sanctions] and “IPSC” [Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign, which maintains a list of Israeli goods] next to a painted Palestinian flag in the middle Falls, west Belfast; plus an Artists Against Genocide (ig) sticker.

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The Fog Of War

Irish politicians are making their annual pilgrimage to the United States for St Patrick’s Day. Taoıseach Leo Varadkar was first in Boston and is now in Washington, DC (gov.ie). Sınn Féın leaders Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle O’Neill say (Sky News) that during their visit they will raise the issues of Israel’s military attack and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza with US President Joe Biden, changing “Say “No” to Genocide Joe” to “Say “No” to genocide, Joe”. Michelle O’Neill (SF) and Emma Little-Pengelly (DUP) together promoted Northern Irish business opportunities (journal.ie).

SDLP leaders are not in attendance and People Before Profit called for a boycott (see previously: Don’t Look Away).

Meanwhile in Qatar, it is hoped that negotiations between Hamas and Israel will be rejoined (AP).

Slıabh Dubh has its own Visual History page.

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Seas Leıs An Phalaıstín

Two murals have been added to the exterior of Felons’ Club in Andersonstown to show support for Palestine. Above, on the Lake Glen side of the club, a printed board reading “We stand with Palestine – seas leis an Phalaıstín” and including an Emmalene Blake image (ig) on the right (shown in close-up, below) journalist Alatrash Samia and her niece Masa (as photographed by Mahmoud Bassam); further below, a “Stop the genocide in Gaza” tarp above the entrance.

Also included are images of several memorial plaques from the courtyard, to James Smyth, Anraí (Harry) Osborne, and Seosamh Ó Conghaıle (Joseph Connolly); the Roger Casement plaque is on the Kieran Doherty mural in Slemish Way. “County Antrim Memorial: Tógaḋ an leaċt seo mar ċoṁarṫa urraıme, grá agus dílse do na saıġdıúırí uaısle as Contae Aontroma, a martraíoḋ ar son Ṗoblaċt Na hÉıreann. Ṡeas gaċ glúın díoḃ sa ḃearna ḃaoıl, ag troıd go cróga ċun aontaċt agus saoırse a ṫaḃaırt ar aıs do náısıún na nGael. Go spreaga an leaċt cuımhne seo na daoıne feasta ıonas go leana sıad lorg na laoċra dtí go mbéarfar bua uasal na saoırse ar ball. Erected by the Belfast Committee of the National Graves Association with generous co-operation from sub-committees in America and Dublin.”

For a similar style of floral arrangement, see Do You Believe?

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Birds Not Bombs

Here are seven pro-Palestinian posters on a planter outside the Royal in west Belfast.

The “Rise Up Against Genocide” poster is from ‘Love Letters From Palestine’ (ig).
“Birds Not Bombs” is by Dani Knight (ig).
“Boycott Apartheid Israel” is by Chris Hutch (Palestinian Poster Project).
The “Save Gaza” poster is by Pakistani designer Hazem Asif (ig | web).
“Unity In Confronting Zionism” is by Deliberately/Collectively Anonymous (PPP)
“Palestine Will Be Free” is by Josh McPhee (ig)
“Free Palestine” ?

Falls Road, west Belfast.

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from the river to the sea