“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.
“… not a weakness.” Mental health mural in the middle Falls, with the telephone numbers for Lifeline, the Samaritans, and the Suicide Awareness & Support Group.
A new tribute to UDA assassin Stevie “Top Gun” McKeag has been put in place in the lower Shankill, replacing the flat-capped version of 2016.
The main-streaming of McKeag continues with this new display: in the previous version he was presented in soldierly garb but as a soldier of the UDA; now, one would be forgiven for thinking that McKeag was a soldier in the British Army, given that the “military commander”‘s beret is now green (rather than grey) and now adorned by a poppy (rather than the UFF star), both complementing the commando-style sweater he is wearing. He is also being mourned by band leaders in ceremonial dress, such as is worn by the Royal Regiment Of Scotland (dress regulations pdf) when serving as equerries to the royal family.
In the right-hand side-wall, the UDU, the poppies, and the graveside mourners are used to put McKeag’s actions in the context of resistance to Home Rule and the British Army’s role in the Great War. McKeag killed at least a dozen Catholics between 1990 and 1998 (WP). He is shown here smiling.
Not only does this display replace the previous display, but the paint from previous murals (and perhaps a layer of plaster) was removed, until the original mural on the wall, of “King Rat” (D01005), was reached. It then appears that the new display was mounted on top of this. The following image is from May 15th:
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.
Derry’s ‘Get Up’ graffiti and street art festival took place at the end of June – here is the Strand Road hoarding sprayed by NOYS (ig), POSEA (ig), VENTS (ig), RAZER (ig), Chose Letters (ig) and perhaps others, with support from Peaball (web) and Foyle Maritime (web), as well as City Paints (Fb) and Crown paints.
For the street art pieces from Clarendon Street, see Get Up, Derry.
“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).
Commemorations of the INLA’s fiftieth anniversary have so far been limited to graffiti – see Saoırse Go Deo in Derry and Let The Fight Go On in Belfast – but here we have two deliberately painted panels in the Bogside (specifically Meenan Square) (one replacing The Way We Were).
“Irish National Liberation Army, Derry brigade. This mural is dedicated to the women and men who gave their lives in the struggle for national liberation and socialism. Erected by the James Connolly Memorial flute band.”
Extramural Activity 