Protest at Ireland v Israel match as pro-Palestinian Activists Love Football and Hate Apartheid

national | rights, freedoms and repression | news report

Thursday August 26, 2010 18:25

by Gerry C & Kev - IPSC

Local councillors ejected from pre-match dinner for wearing Palestinian jerseys

In Bray on Wednesday 25th August over 60 members and supporters of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) took part in a demonstration as the Irish Women's soccer team played Israel in a FIFA World Cup Qualifier at the Carlisle Grounds (home of Bray Wanderers FC).

The protest begins outside the pre-match function in the Royal Hotel

Before the match a pre-match dinner and reception was hosted by the Israeli Embassy at the Royal Hotel in Bray where the protest commenced. Two local Sinn Féin councillors, John Brady and Rossa Murray, who had received invites to this dinner attempted to enter the reception. Upon arrival the two councillors, who were wearing Palestinian football jerseys, were refused entry and were escorted out of the reception by Israeli security officials.

Contrary to the often expressed view that politics and sport do not mix, at this function the Israeli embassy staff handed out ridiculous pro-Israeli state propaganda directed against Palestinians.

Following the dinner, the protest then moved to outside the gates of the Carlisle grounds where the game was actually taking place.

The protest lasted for about an hour with protesters engaging with the public and explaining the rationale for their protest. They also engaged in the chanting of pro-Palestinian slogans as well as displaying Palestinian flags and banners bearing the slogans 'Love Football, Hate Apartheid', 'Boycott Israeli Apartheid' and 'Unity Against Occupation'.

In line with the wishes of Palestinian civil society, the protest called for a sporting boycott of Israel due to the racist and apartheid nature of the Israeli state. This was in support of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) who confirmed this match fell under their Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) guidelines.

Local Sinn Fein councillor John Brady, who took part in the protest, said: “My party colleague Cllr Rossa Murray and I were shocked to receive official invitations to attend a pre-match function from the Embassy of the rogue state of Israel. We went there solely to show our solidarity with the Palestinian people and to hand in a letter of protest. As a symbolic gesture, we wore Palestinian national football jerseys and even this was unacceptable to the Israeli embassy officials. This shows once again the necessity of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel and the very fact that the Israeli embassy was handing out its own propaganda at this event shows that sport and politics do indeed mix and we should continue building towards a sporting boycott of Israel.”

IPSC National Chairperson Freda Hughes said: “Israel is a racist apartheid state with a human rights record worse than that of Apartheid South Africa. It continues to defy United Nations Security Council Resolutions and breaches International law on a daily basis. It is long past time that Israel was shown that there is a heavy price to pay for its human rights abuses, war crimes and continued denial of freedom to the Palestinian people.”

Ms Hughes added: "While some may suggest that sports and politics shouldn't mix, we believe there is no place in sport for racism or teams who act as ambassadors for racist or apartheid states.”

Ms Hughes continued: “Attempts by the Palestinian national soccer team to participate in International competitions are consistently hampered by Israel. Travel restrictions including refusing players exit visas as well as a complete ban on travel between the West Bank and Gaza makes training virtually impossible and has led to cancelled internationals. In 2006, Israel bombed their stadium in Gaza and three footballers were murdered during their month long attack on the strip last year.”

Ms Hughes concluded: “The IPSC are urging people to take a stand against Israeli apartheid and to show their solidarity with the people of Palestine. We are urging Irish fans not to travel to Israel for the second leg of this tie. Similar to the International boycott of the Apartheid South African regime, Israel must be boycotted completely, including all sporting events such as tonigh's game. The Boycott helped end South African apartheid. It can be used again to help end Israeli apartheid and secure freedom for Palestine.”