Protesters rally at the Dáil, block Dublin Port in solidarity with detained Gaza aid flotilla activists

Over 200 people gathered outside the Dáil yesterday for a protest in solidarity with the detained activists of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF).

Among the demonstrators was Karen Dempsey, a boat monitor and family liaison volunteer for Global Movement to Gaza Éire (which is a part of the GSF mission). Dempsey told Hot Press it has been an emotional week for all those involved in the mission.

"We've been watching all the CCTV cameras every night, every day, 24/7 in shifts, waiting to see something that might suggest an interception," Dempsey said.

"Last night was the night that it finally happened. It's been incredibly emotional, but we are so focused and so dedicated. We are so connected to all of the families. We are so connected to our people on board."

Dempsey tearfully explained she and her fellow organisers sent a message to the activists on board the boat she was monitoring in preparation for Israeli interception.

"We sent a message to them just saying, 'Look, we're going to lose communication. We know, we have a policy on this. We're ready for it. You're ready for it. You're trained. You know what to do. We know what to do, but we're sending you so much love from Ireland,'" Dempsey said.

"There were people of all nationalities on that boat and they called us their 'Irish angels' because they knew we were watching them and they knew we cared so much, but we are just representing the people of this country who care."

Dempsey said the GSF "is not an isolated piece" and the movement "is not stopping."

"It's not that we've put these boats through and that's the end of it," Dempsey said.

"There are boats gathering again now. They are getting ready to leave from various different ports. We are going to continue. We know that the only way we can do this is through the power that we have as people and citizens of the world. We are going to keep pushing that and we are going to keep the pressure on."

She also directed attention to the Irish government, saying, "Anybody inside that door there needs to know that this is not going anywhere."

"We know what we're doing," Dempsey said.

"I'm a testament to the power of a volunteer movement. It's been chaotic and yet look what we've done. We are going to keep going, and now we're trained, so we can amplify that and keep going onwards, onwards, onwards."

The emergency protest in solidarity with the Global Sumud Flotilla marching on Pearse Street in Dublin on October 2, 2025. Photo: Chloe Craft

This was also not the first time a flotilla has been launched to Gaza. Also at the protest was Jim Roche, secretary of the Irish Anti War Movement, Co-Founder of Academics for Palestine and member of the Teachers Union of Ireland.

Roche told Hot Press he was on an Irish-led ship to Gaza in 2012 with Sinn Féin senator Christopher Andrews, who was among those detained in the interception of the GSF.

"I know the feeling," said Roche, adding, "We got sabotaged, I never got there."

"About 12 of us were on a trip. We were in Turkey, while all the other boats were in Piraeus in Greece. Our boat was sabotaged, and similar damage was done to one of the boats in Greece so we know it was sabotage. They [Israeli forces] got down with deep-sea divers, and they managed to do some damage to the propeller shaft. So we all had to come back."

Roche said he was far from deterred and found it particularly important for the Irish community to show their support for Palestine.

"It's really important that Ireland is deeply involved, and they're spread throughout the boats," Roche said.

"It's really good that there's so many Irish there  and here as well. This means a lot to Ireland. We're totally against what's happening. We're totally in support of the Palestinians and our government need to get their act together too. It's time to stop using words, stop talking just to talk. They need to walk the talk and sanction Israel."

After about an hour of rallying on Kildare Street, demonstrators marched east to the Dublin Port where they blocked the entrance for several hours.

 

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Refusal Art, a visual artist and political activist at the protest, said blocking the Port was an important act of defiance against the transport of Israeli goods through Irish airspace and docks.

"I'm calling on our dock workers and our airline handlers to refuse to handle Israeli apartheid goods as Mary Manning did back in 1984," said Refusal Art, referring to the Dunnes Stores strike worker who refused to handle goods from apartheid South Africa.

"She acted with her conscience and she helped to bring about the fall of apartheid in South Africa. So we have the power to do that here. Our dockers have huge power. Our unions are strong here, and they can act with their conscience too. So I would compel them this: We're looking for our next Mary Manning. Who's it going to be? Who's going to refuse to handle the avocado from Israel or refuse to load technology that is going to cause pain and suffering to the Palestinian people?"

Refusal Art also emphasised the power of being an Irish advocate for Palestine.

"I call myself a proud 'Paddystinian'," Refusal Art said.

"When an Israeli used that as a slur against us, we took it on like we do with everything and made it out own. One person who's oppressed knows another person who's oppressed's struggle. We're not going to accept genocide."

Refusal Art added that artists like herself and others have a particular power to speak out, saying, "It's so important now to be an artist. An artist's job is to reflect society, and if you're not doing that now, what are you doing?"

A man holds up a KNEECAP t-shirt in support of the emergency protest in solidarity with the Global Sumud Flotilla as they march towards the Dublin Port on October 2, 2025. Photo: Chloe Craft

Another march is planned by the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign on Saturday, October 4, set to begin at the Garden of Remembrance at 12:30 p.m..

The National Demonstration for Palestine will feature speeches from Irish and Palestinian activists, as well as musical performances from Grooveline, Sexy Tadhg, Aoife Kelly and Eoghan Scott.