“Show Israel The Red Card” is a campaign to suspend Israel from UEFA and FIFA competitions (Haaretz).
Supporters of various teams around the world (Quds News | Combat Antisemitism) have been displaying the slogan at games, following the lead of Celtic ultras in a match against Bayern Munich (youtube).
On March 8th, various groups, including RSYM (Fb), held a protest at Free Derry Corner (Fb video).
In smaller letters below the main slogan is “#LajeeCeltic” – Lajee Celtic (web) is a football academy in a camp in Palestine.
“Boycott St. Paddy’s Day at the White House. Sign the petition!” The petition (at ActNow) is sponsored by twenty different Palestine-solidarity groups, headed by Derry IPSC (Fb), and calls for politicians not to shake “hands soaked with the blood of Palestinians” (and wearing a sleeve with US stars-and-bars and an Israeli-flag cuff).
Taoıseach Mıcheál Martin spent two days in Austin (Texas) before travelling to Washington DC for meetings and St Patrick’s Day celebrations (itinerary from Irish Central), including a meeting with President Donald Trump, who told him that Ireland is cheating the US economically, because “Ireland has our pharmaceutical companies” (AP).
Among northern politicians, First Minister Michelle O’Neill of Sınn Féın did not travel to the States but Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly of the DUP did (RTÉ) and gave Trump a flag from Royal Portrush golf club (Irish Times).
“Fáılte chuıg otharlann Al-Shıfa – hathaınmníodh R.V.H. i gcuımhne ar na foırne leıghıs agus ar na hothaır ar fad a maraíodh le linn chınedhíothú Iosrael sa Phalaıstín in 2023. R.V.H. renamed in memory of all medical staff and patients murdered during Israel’s genocide in Palestine in 2023.”
al-Shifa hospital is in Gaza City, Gaza. It was closed on April 1st (2024) after the hospital was raided (for a second time) by the IDF (WP).
The placard was mounted by BDS Belfast in March (Fb). The “Occupation no more” sticker on the adjacent pole is from the 1916 Societies (web).
DUP leader Gavin Robinson posed in front of the original graffiti reading “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” outside the Royal (see Stop Israeli Terror, from October 2023) in order to draw attention to its continued presence, despite a complaint had been made that it was anti-Semitic (BBC). Immediately upon its obliteration this past week (November 2024), a condemnation of the DUP appeared (above and below), and shortly afterward the slogan was restored, though without the Palestinian flag (see wide shot below).
Saoırse don Phalaıstín [Freedom for Palestine]. On August 9th, 2024, Irish-language rappers Kneecap launched a third mural in Hawthorn Street/Sráıd Na Sceıthe, (joining Incendiary Device and England Get Out Of Ireland,) which blows up a sticker seen on a nearby street-sign (seen previously in Land Grab) into a mural and which imitates the version from England Get Out Of Ireland which shows Britain grabbing a piece of Ireland.
The 1916 centenary mural in Andersonstown has been repurposed and repainted to express solidarity with the people of Palestine.
From the frame of the previous mural – see The Undauntable Thought – the title, phoenix, and chains have been preserved but two instances of the inverted red triangle have been added at the top and bottom – see Resist! (and My Kite You Made).
The main panel puts the struggles in Palestine and Northern Ireland in parallel, showing (from top to bottom on each side) political prisoners, violence against protesters, and relatives carrying portraits.
On the left, Palestinian prisoners languish in Israeli jails (based on a photo of Hamza Abu Halima and on this Reuters photograph of prisoners sitting in the street, both from December 2023) and IDF soldiers make violent arrests – the one on the left is from 2016 (CCUN) and the one on the right is perhaps based on this Reuters photograph.
On the right: British soldiers restore order after the Burning Of Long Kesh (see Operation Pagoda), next to blanket-man Hugh Rooney, above three arrests made by British Army soldiers – their caps indicates that they are from the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders (left) and the Paratroop regiment (centre). (For two of the original photos, see BBC | Getty.)
Along the bottom of both sides, marchers hold portraits of the dead, including the recently-killed leader of Hamas Yahya Sinwar (BBC).
“From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” “Stop the genocide – save Palestine.”
The South Link green-space as been renamed “Gaza Square” (see the small plaque in the wide shot, below) and the murals seen recently (at end of March) in Though An Army Besiege Me, My Heart Will Not Fear have been repainted, switching images of Israeli weapons for the images of death, suffering, and destruction seen here.
According to the Al Jazeera tracker, the Palestinian death toll is approaching 45,000, with more than 100,000 injured.
The “two nations” are Palestine (flag on the left) and Ireland (flag on the right). Between the two is a balaclava’d face, suggesting violent struggle.
“Resistance is not terrorism – Saoırse don Phalaıstín”. Gazan photo-journalist Motaz Azaiza (ig) visited Dublin – where he spoke at Bohemians (reddit | The Journal), Belfast – where he spoke with Clare Daly at the MAC, and Derry – where he spoke with Jamie Lee O’Donnell at the Guildhall (Derry Now). He also attended a rally at Free Derry Corner (Derry Journal | Derry Now), which has been painted with his likeness in honour of the work he has done documenting the destruction of Gaza by Israeli forces for his almost 18 million people on instagram. Fifteen of Azaiza’s relatives were killed in an air-strike on Deir al-Balah, Gaza, on October 13th, 2023 (WP).
Extramural Activity 