More than 1,000 people march in Cork in support of ceasefire in Gaza

MORE than 1,000 people marched the streets of Cork City for the sixth week on Saturday in support of a ceasefire in Gaza.

People gathered in solidarity at the Grand Parade in the city centre for the rally organised by Cork Palestine Solidarity Campaign, before marching down Patrick St, onto Winthrop St, down Oliver Plunkett St, and returning to Grand Parade where speakers took to the stage to show their support.

“Free, free Palestine” and “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” could be heard as the crowd made their way through the city.

Following the rally, Socialist Party TD Mick Barry said that it is “outrageous” that people have to continue to take to the streets.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the Socialist Party TD said: “More than 1,000 people march in Cork for the sixth Saturday in a row.

“Outrageous that this has to happen of course but not sure this has ever happened before on the one issue. There’s one for the students of radical history to check.”

Speaking in Cork on Friday following his visit to the Middle East, Tánaiste Micheál Martin said the focus of his visit was to “really engage with people in respect of Emily Hand and prioritise her release”.

“And that would have involved our discussions with the Egyptian foreign minister in particular and with Palestinian authorities,” he said. 

“In respect of the war in Gaza, I wasn’t alone out there. It was interesting, Josep Borell the European foreign affairs chief was there as well on a separate visit. The Cypriot foreign minister was there.

“And all of us really are appealing and saying to the Israeli authorities that this war must stop. That too many children and civilians in general are being killed. It is appalling.

“Also the need for a humanitarian pause to get aid in as quickly as possible. [The message] is one of consistent pressure from the international community in terms of a cessation of hostilities.” 

Meanwhile, Fine Gael TD Colm Burke said he fully supports the call for a ceasefire and urgent de-escalation of the violence, saying Israel’s actions in Gaza “are equivalent to state terrorism”.

He also condemned the Hamas attack on October 7, describing the abduction and holding of more than 200 hostages as “a barbaric act”. He said that all UN organisations, the World Health Organization, and all NGOs supporting the people of Gaza have called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, which he said would “allow for urgent mediation on the release of hostages and the provision of desperately needed supplies to Gaza”. He said: “I fully support the call for a ceasefire and urgent de-escalation of the violence. The release of hostages should accompany a ceasefire.”