Free Derry Corner shows solidarity with Palestine

A rally was held at Free Derry Corner to express solidarity with the Palestinian people following a recent uptick in violence in Gaza.

Over 200 people attended and heard speeches from local councillors, a trade unionist and a Palestinian woman now living in Buncrana.

Majida Al Askari, originally from Palestine, said she constantly receives calls from loved ones informing her about another death.

“Thank you for coming this evening. I really appreciate you standing and I really feel whatever we do here is not enough because we need a strong voice from the government to prevent what is going on in Gaza,” she said.

“Every single moment I have a call from family and friends about losing children and other members of their family.

“Everyone who leaves this earth to go to paradise we will have freedom for Palestine there, but also the people who are still alive, they deserve to be free.

“Forgive me because I feel I'm not here. I wish that I could be in Gaza. Maybe I will give a hand to anyone who loses his life or his house.”

She was unable to continue her speech and was comforted by Catherine Hutton from Derry IPSC.

Sinn Féin Councillor Emma McGinley said the international community faces a test of its 'commitment to peace, justice and self determination'.

The most recent uptick in violence came after an attack from the Hamas group, in which the group penetrated the border and attacked settlers on land currently under Israeli occupation, has led to a devastating response.

Hamas shot thousands of rockets into Israel followed by an attack by land, air and sea. The death toll among Israelis has exceeded 1,200. Hostages have also been taken.

Israel's response has already taken over 950 Palestinian lives.

According to the United Nations between 2008 and 8 October 2023 a total of 6720 Palestinians and 658 Israelis have been killed in the conflict.

Emma McGinley said the people of Gaza are being collectively punished for the recent Hamas attack.

“We are here tonight to send solidarity to the besieged people of Gaza who are facing an onslaught by the Israeli military at this very moment,” the Sinn Féin councillor said.

“Israel's collective punishment of the people of Gaza is underway. Israeli missiles rain down on an impoverished, beleaguered population of two million people – half of whom are children.

“In a chilling warning Israel's defence minister said 'I have ordered a complete siege on the Gaza strip. There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed. We are fighting human animals and we act accordingly.'

Hundreds gathered at Free Derry Corner for the Palestine Solidarity Rally on Tuesday night. (Photo - Tom Heaney, nwpresspics)

“This is a humanitarian crisis. The international community now faces an immediate test of its commitment to peace, justice and self determination.

She added that over 2000 people had been killed so far in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel with 'victims on all sides’.

“Thousands more have been wounded and more than 100,000 homes have been left in ruins.

“These attacks have occurred against the backdrop of deep injustice as Palestinian self determination is ruthlessly suppressed.

“To stop the cycle of violence we need ceasefires, the renewal of dialogue and the rigorous enforcement of international law equally for all. We need to see an end to the occupation and an end to Israel's apartheid regime.”

Councillor Gary Donnolly called the treatment of Palestinians in Gaza 'an international war crime'.

“Gaza is home to two million people. Half of that population is children. It's only 25 miles long and between three and seven miles wide. It's the third most densely populated unit in the world and its inhabitants have been caged within the world's largest concentration camp,” the Independent councillor said.

Independent councillor Gary Donnelly said people in Gaza face constant bombardment by land, sea and air.

“It's an international war crime. Men women and children, mostly non-combatants are bombarded constantly from the land, sea and the air. They are trapped, there's no way to escape. Before this latest pogrom thousands of men, women and children have already been killed, including whole families.

“There's much to be said about civilians – and settlers are being classed as civilians. In my opinion the settlers are part of the aggressive occupation.

“Stealing land, they've evicted Palestinians out of their homes. They've carried out shootings; stabbings; mowing down civilians, particularly children, in vehicles. They've destroyed property, homes and olive plantations. They openly mock and taunt the local inhabitants. They are very much part of Israeli aggression.”

“I think now more than ever we need to stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Palestine because solidarity is very important to them. Free Palestine.”

More than 187,500 people have been displaced in Gaza since the beginning of the conflict, according to a report from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

OCHA said damage to water, sanitation and hygiene facilities in Gaza has disrupted service for more than 400,000 people.

UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, is now hosting more than 137,000 people in schools across the territory.

Councillor Shaun Harkin said the Israeli government's actions in Gaza amount to state terrorism.

“I'm glad to see so many people here. There will be people saying that the people of Derry are standing with terrorists and they're going to try to demonise us for being here tonight. Let's get something clear: The terrorists here are the Israeli state,” the People Before Profit councillor said.

“What we saw happened for very clear reasons. Gaza has been suffocated for 18 years and it's only going to get worse now.

“We have an Israeli government that is talking openly about exterminating the Palestinian people and driving them out of the West Bank and completing the final annexation of Palestinian land and wiping out all history of the Palestinian people.

“Did people not think there was going to be a response by the Palestinians to being imprisoned? Palestinians have never laid down in the face of this.

Cllr Harkin believes the United States, British and Irish governments facilitate Israeli State war crimes through financial backing and inaction.

“Joe Biden is a sponsor of terrorism. Every year billions and billions and billions. There is no war crime that Israel can commit that the US government won't back up.

People Before Profit Councillor Shaun Harkin gave a speech at the rally

“Rishi Sunak: disgraceful. The British government is as bad as the US and where does the Irish government stand on this? They're not standing with the Palestinians right now. Wishy-washy statements from the Irish government are going to get us absolutely nowhere.

“There's talk now about 'shouldn't Palestinians be involved in dialogue? Isn't there a peaceful way to solve this?' Well yes there is. Palestinians have been involved in dialogue for decades. What was the outcome? A peace accord that the Israelis ripped up and now there's nearly a million illegal settlers in the West Bank.”

Cllr Harkin added that Palestinians have been blocked from building peaceful movements such as the Boycott Divest Sanction (BDS) movement.

Derry City and Strabane District Council has been told it cannot participate in BDS despite passing a motion in 2016 to investigate ‘ the most practical means of implementing this BDS Campaign’.

The Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill bans local councils from imposing economic sanctions on countries that are not sanctioned by the British government.

Eamonn McCann, Catherine Hutton and Damian Doherty from Derry Trades Union Council also spoke at the rally.