People Before Profit to protest Biden visit over support for Saudi and Israeli regimes

People Before Profit are scheduled to take part in a public protest against US President Joe Biden’s visit to Ireland this week over his administration's support for regimes in Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Both regimes are heavily involved and criticised for their abhorrent treatment of certain citizens and marginalised groups - or ethnic cleansing in occupied territories.

PBP TDs have often protested the visits of world leaders, most notably politicians currently involved in international wars. The party chose not to applaud Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy Oireachtas’ address last April, though have consistently supported the rights of Ukrainian people to defend their land.

The party today branded President Biden a “warmonger” and encouraged supporters to attend a protest against his visit at 5pm on Wednesday at the GPO.

President Biden is due to address both the Dáil and Seanad that day at around 3.30pm.

People Before Profit, Against Biden pic.twitter.com/lbR0CubK0m

— Seán Defoe (@SeanDefoe) April 11, 2023

“But while Biden talks of peace in Ireland, he is the Commander-in-Chief of a military machine that, he describes, as ‘the arsenal of democracy’.

He presents himself as the ‘leader of the free world’, opposing Putin’s invasion of Ukraine,” said a spokesperson.

“Each year, the United States provides $3.3 billion in foreign military financing to Israel and an additional $500 million in missile defence funding. Yet Israel has been involved in an illegal occupation of Palestinian lands for decades. Ninety Palestinians have been killed this year to date.

“Biden is not a man of peace but another warmonger. While he condemns the invasion of Ukraine, he was an enthusiastic supporter of the US invasion of Iraq.”

PBP will also be holding public meetings in Cork, Dublin and Galway this week “to expose the double standards of US foreign policy”.

TDs will also not be able to make statements after President Biden’s address in the Dáil on Thursday. PBP TD Paul Murphy said this will be just using the Dáil as a “speech venue”.

“Why should Biden address TDs and Senators without listening to what we have to say?” he tweeted. “This is just using Leinster House as a speech venue.”