Pro-Palestine protesters enter BBC and RTÉ buildings

By Cate McCurry, PA

Pro-Palestine protesters entered a BBC building in Belfast and the RTÉ campus in Dublin on Tuesday.

The BBC building in the city centre was put into lockdown for a short period when protesters made their way on to the premises.

The group, holding Palestinian flags and chanting, gained access to a studio in Great Victoria Street at around 11am.

A number of police officers were called to the area and removed the protesters from the building.

A spokesman for the PSNI said: “Police received a report at approximately 11am this morning, Tuesday April 22, that a building had been entered by protesters in the Great Victoria Street area of Belfast city centre.

“Officers attended the scene and spoke with the crowd who then left the building and moved their protest outside.

“No damage was caused and the protesters have since moved on from this area.”

A BBC spokesperson said: “We take the safety and security of BBC staff and buildings extremely seriously.

“Unauthorised access is wrong and can create risks for everyone involved.”

Meanwhile, a small group of protesters entered the RTÉ reception area shortly after midday.

Gardaí were called to the scene and removed the small crowd.

Both protests voiced their criticism of the coverage of Israel’s war in Gaza.

In a statement, a spokesman for gardaí said: “Gardaí attended at a public gathering at a premises in Donnybrook, Dublin 4 this afternoon, Tuesday, April 22 2025.

“This gathering has now dispersed. No offences disclosed.”

A spokeswoman for RTÉ said it does not comment on security-related matters.