November 29, 2021: For IMEMC News, Niall Ó Brolcháin: A large crowd gathered as the Derry Branch of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) held a vigil at 6pm in Guildhall Square, Derry, Ireland. The vigil was to celebrate International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.
Derry’s majestic Guildhall council office was illuminated by a projection of the Palestinian flag onto the front of the building after a successful request was made to Derry City and Strabane District Council (DCSDC) by Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP).
International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People takes place every year on November 29. The United Nations chose this date to mark the shameful day in 1947 when the UN voted to partition Palestine against the wishes of the indigenous people. Seventy-four years on, the Palestinians continue to suffer the disastrous consequences of that imperial decision to allow the colonisation of Palestine.
Speakers addressing the vigil were introduced by Derry IPSC chairperson Catherine Hutton and included Davy McCauley of the Derry Anti War Coalition, Deputy Mayor Christopher Jackson (Sinn Féin) and People Before Profit (PBP) Councillor, Shaun Harkin.
Other vigils were held throughout Ireland in solidarity with our Palestinian brothers and sisters in Belfast, Strabane, Omagh, Drogheda, Dundalk, Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Galway.
After the Dublin vigil, a protest was held supporting the Trinity College, Dublin (TCD) BDS Campaign to send a message to Ireland’s entry in the Miss Universe contest, Kat Walker and her sponsors that Ireland stands firmly with Palestine and calling for her to withdraw from the pageant which will take place in ‘Israel’ later this year.
