Hundreds brave the elements in Cork to march for peace in Palestine

Several hundred marchers were undeterred by torrential rain as they took part in Saturday’s pro Palestinian march in Cork city, marking a year since the latest escalation in the age old Israel/Palestine conflict was initiated by a Hamas massacre of concert goers attending an event on the border between Israel and Gaza.

The march on Saturday was led by Cork Healthcare Workers for Palestine who are running a ‘Not A Target’ campaign to speak out against what they claim is the deliberate targeting of health workers, ambulances and hospitals by Israeli forces and bombing.

Killed

Those attending the march in Cork were told by Dr Katie Boyle that over a thousand of healthcare colleagues in Gaza have died over the past year, as well as over a 100 who had been killed during the attacks on Lebanon in the past week.

“There has been a systematic targeting of healthcare workers in direct contravention of international humanitarian law,” said Dr Boyle.

“We stand here in solidarity. Healthcare is not a target!” 

Another speaker, Karen Garvin, a psychotherapist who travelled to the West Bank in August spending three weeks there, told the protesters in Cork that the ‘injustice suffered by the people of Palestine’ is the outrage of our time and accused what she described as the "US- Israeli regime" of not being the defender of global peace.

Victim

Ms Garvin told of an incident involving a first responder friend in a refugee camp who had to go to a call out in which her own brother was the victim.

“She had to resuscitate him. He didn’t make it. Dalya herself was shot a few weeks ago and was back at work 48 hours later because her community needs her. She is terrified every time she goes out to save someone's life and she is terrified to leave.” 

Ms Garvin said that it was medical professionals who had to endanger themselves to repair the damage to peoples’ bodies caused by the wars of politicians. 

Trauma

“And when all your wars are over it’s the trauma professionals that must re-walk these paths of trauma with victims to try to feel safe again,” she said.

A large number of vigils and other Palestine solidarity events continue to take place across the county of Cork on a weekly basis, with local Palestine solidarity groups now active in Macroom, Ballincollig, Ballinlough, Bandon, Charleville, Clonakilty, Cobh, Fermoy, Kinsale, Macroom, Mallow, Midleton, West Cork and Youghal.

A large group from Cork also attended the national march for Palestine in Dublin today.