Cork city rally pays tribute to children of Gaza

CORK city was a sea of white kites on Saturday in an emotional display paying tribute to the children of Gaza.

The kites were flown during a 1,000-strong march and “die in” for Palestine in Cork city. The kites were flown in memory of the Palestinian poet Refaat Alareer who asked for kites to be flown in the event of his passing as a symbol of hope for children in Gaza. The event followed his death in an Israeli airstrike earlier this month.

The march, rally, and “die-in” was organised by the Cork Palestine Solidarity Campaign (CPSC). It was the 10th demonstration of its kind to be organised in solidarity with Gaza.

The march featured young children flying white kites and concluded with a die-in on Grand Parade that saw participants lie down on the ground. This was to symbolise the thousands of children, women, and men killed in Gaza as a result of recent unrest. Recordings from the bombardment of Gaza were also played to recreate the horrors of such atrocities.

March organisers expressed anger at Israel’s indiscriminate bombardment of Gaza. They also acknowledged what they perceived as failure on the part of the Government to oppose it.

Speaking at the rally, CPSC co-chairman Martin Shiel said that protesters were appalled by the war and vehemently opposed America’s funding and supply of weapons to Israel.

“From the moment Israel commenced its bombardment of Gaza we’ve been told that president Biden, though publicly supportive of Israel’s war, has been privately counselling against its continuation,” he said. 

“America’s veto of the two United Nations motions calling for a ceasefire makes it clear that Biden and the US will back Israel in its devastating war until the bitter end.”