Latest news with #peacefulProtest
The Independent
25-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Grandmothers arrested at Palestine protest ‘robustly deny any criminal offence'
Two grandmothers arrested following a pro- Palestine protest in Belfast 'robustly deny they have committed any criminal offence'. Sue Pentel and Martine McCullough were arrested earlier this year by police investigating an incident of criminal damage at a Barclays Bank in the city. Ms Pentel, 72, was detained by officers along with Martine McCullough, aged in her 50s, on May 24 while protesting outside the bank in Castle Place over an incident at a previous protest at the bank on April 26. The two attended Musgrave Street police station in Belfast city centre on Wednesday morning for the pre-arranged interview under caution. Fellow campaigners staged a protest in solidarity with the women outside the station, with applause and calls of 'we're with you' as they arrived. Solicitor Padraig O Muirigh, who represents the two women, said they 'robustly deny that they have committed any criminal offence'. 'Our clients have been involved in peaceful protests against the ongoing genocide in Gaza which has been ongoing now for 628 days,' he said. 'Today's interviews under caution follow their arrests on the 24th May 2025. 'My clients robustly deny that they have committed any criminal offence and maintain that they should not be subjected to criminal investigations for exercising their right to peaceful protest against the atrocities being committed in Gaza.' He added: 'Our clients will robustly contest their innocence and defend their rights under the European Convention on Human Rights to freedom of assembly and expression if a decision is made to prosecute them.' Jewish grandmother Ms Pentel is a high-profile campaigner against Israel's military offensive on Gaza. Videos circulated online of the arrest of Ms Pentel indicate the alleged offence related to the placing of stickers on the bank's ATM machine. Barclays has been a target for pro-Palestine protesters who claim the bank is linked to companies supplying weapons to Israel. Barclays has previously addressed the criticism, saying it provides financial services to nine defence companies supplying Israel but does not directly invest in such firms. The bank has said it has become the target of a disinformation campaign over its ties to defence companies. Speaking earlier on Wednesday, Ms Pentel said they are 'proud to peacefully protest outside Barclays'. 'We've been doing it for the last eight months,' she said. 'To protest the genocide, to protest the violence, to protest the way that Israel feels its OK to starve children, to stop humanitarian aid while the world looks on. 'Well, we won't look on, we won't remain silent.' She added: 'We understand that we've been asked to be interviewed under caution, and we're voluntarily going in about an incident on April 26 and all we can say is we're proud to demonstrate with our amazing colleagues every week outside Barclays. 'We have the right to peacefully protest, we want to thank our solicitor Padraig O Muirigh for his time and advice. 'We have the right to peacefully protest and we will continue to do it until the genocide stops. 'We're two grandmothers, when our grandchildren ask us what we did, we know what we'll say, we stood up, we spoke out, we weren't silent, and as a Jewish person I am absolutely ashamed of anybody either Israeli Jewish or London Jewish or wherever who doesn't stand up and who thinks this is OK.'
The Independent
25-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Grandmother arrested at pro-Palestine protest ‘proud to keep demonstrating'
A pensioner arrested at a pro-Palestine protest outside a Barclays bank in Belfast has said she is proud to keep demonstrating. Sue Pentel, 72, was detained by officers on suspicion of criminal damage, along with Martine McCullough, aged in her 50s, on May 24 while protesting outside the bank on Castle Place over an incident at a previous protest at the bank on April 26. The pair attended Musgrave Street police station in Belfast city centre on Wednesday for a pre-arranged interview under caution with officers. Fellow campaigners staged a protest in solidarity with the pair outside the station, with applause and calls of 'we're with you' as they arrived. Jewish grandmother Ms Pentel is a high-profile campaigner against Israel's military offensive on Gaza. Videos circulated online of the arrest of Ms Pentel indicate the alleged offence related to the placing of stickers on the bank's ATM machine. Barclays has been a target for pro-Palestine protesters who claim the bank is linked to companies supplying weapons to Israel. Barclays has previously addressed the criticism, saying it provides financial services to nine defence companies supplying Israel but does not directly invest in such firms. The bank has said it has become the target of a disinformation campaign over its ties to defence companies. Ms Pentel said they are 'proud to peacefully protest outside Barclays'. 'We've been doing it for the last eight months,' she said. 'To protest the genocide, to protest the violence, to protest the way that Israel feels its OK to starve children, to stop humanitarian aid while the world looks on. 'Well, we won't look on, we won't remain silent.' She added: 'We understand that we've been asked to be interviewed under caution, and we're voluntarily going in about an incident on April 26 and all we can say is we're proud to demonstrate with our amazing colleagues every week outside Barclays. 'We have the right to peacefully protest, we want to thank our solicitor Padraig O Muirigh for his time and advice. 'We have the right to peacefully protest and we will continue to do it until the genocide stops. 'We're two grandmothers, when our grandchildren ask us what we did, we know what we'll say, we stood up, we spoke out, we weren't silent, and as a Jewish person I am absolutely ashamed of anybody either Israeli Jewish or London Jewish or wherever who doesn't stand up and who thinks this is OK.'
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Grandmother arrested at pro-Palestine protest ‘proud to keep demonstrating'
A pensioner arrested at a pro-Palestine protest outside a Barclays bank in Belfast has said she is proud to keep demonstrating. Sue Pentel, 72, was detained by officers on suspicion of criminal damage, along with Martine McCullough, aged in her 50s, on May 24 while protesting outside the bank on Castle Place over an incident at a previous protest at the bank on April 26. The pair attended Musgrave Street police station in Belfast city centre on Wednesday for a pre-arranged interview under caution with officers. Fellow campaigners staged a protest in solidarity with the pair outside the station, with applause and calls of 'we're with you' as they arrived. Jewish grandmother Ms Pentel is a high-profile campaigner against Israel's military offensive on Gaza. Videos circulated online of the arrest of Ms Pentel indicate the alleged offence related to the placing of stickers on the bank's ATM machine. Barclays has been a target for pro-Palestine protesters who claim the bank is linked to companies supplying weapons to Israel. Barclays has previously addressed the criticism, saying it provides financial services to nine defence companies supplying Israel but does not directly invest in such firms. The bank has said it has become the target of a disinformation campaign over its ties to defence companies. Ms Pentel said they are 'proud to peacefully protest outside Barclays'. 'We've been doing it for the last eight months,' she said. 'To protest the genocide, to protest the violence, to protest the way that Israel feels its OK to starve children, to stop humanitarian aid while the world looks on. 'Well, we won't look on, we won't remain silent.' She added: 'We understand that we've been asked to be interviewed under caution, and we're voluntarily going in about an incident on April 26 and all we can say is we're proud to demonstrate with our amazing colleagues every week outside Barclays. 'We have the right to peacefully protest, we want to thank our solicitor Padraig O Muirigh for his time and advice. 'We have the right to peacefully protest and we will continue to do it until the genocide stops. 'We're two grandmothers, when our grandchildren ask us what we did, we know what we'll say, we stood up, we spoke out, we weren't silent, and as a Jewish person I am absolutely ashamed of anybody either Israeli Jewish or London Jewish or wherever who doesn't stand up and who thinks this is OK.'
The Independent
13-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Minister asked to comment on detention of Irish politician in Egypt
The partner of an Irish politician who was detained in Egypt has called on Ireland's Foreign Affairs Minister to make a statement on the matter. People Before Profit-Solidarity TD (MP) Paul Murphy said he had been detained in Egypt while attempting to march to the Rafah crossing into Gaza as part of a large demonstration and effort to get aid into the region. The opposition politician said his phone and passport were confiscated on Friday before being put on a bus to Cairo airport for deportation. His partner, Councillor Jess Spear, appealed to Foreign Affairs Minister and deputy premier Simon Harris to make a public statement. In a statement, she said: 'Paul was detained for hours this afternoon and forced onto a bus to be brought to Cairo airport for deportation. Paul's phone has been taken but he was allowed to call me briefly this evening.' She added: 'It is a serious matter for a member of the Dail to be detained in Egypt and forcibly deported just because he was participating in a peaceful march to try and get humanitarian aid into starving people in Gaza. 'I appeal to the Tanaiste to make a public statement calling on the Egyptian authorities to release Paul and all the others detained and to let them continue their humanitarian mission to Gaza.' Mr Murphy flew to Cairo on Thursday and set off towards Gaza on Friday. Prior to his phone being taken, he said his passport had been confiscated by the Egyptian army along with the passports of other people in the group who were stopped. He said those being detained were being asked to board a bus and he believed they were going to be deported. Mr Murphy told the PA news agency that several other Irish citizens were among those who have been stopped. In a video, he said: 'It's looking worrying that the Egyptian authorities are going to act to prevent our peaceful march to Gaza, to demand that Israel's blockade of humanitarian aid, of food, of water, of medical supplies, is ended. 'I'm just asking people to redouble their efforts, to get on to your own government, in Ireland's case get on to (Foreign Affairs Minister) Simon Harris, your local TD, ask them to pressurise the Egyptian regime to allow us to engage in our peaceful march.' He added: 'The world has watched a horrific genocide for the past 20 months. Since March, a total attempt of starvation. 'And that this is a peaceful march to demand that it be ended and demand that western governments stop their complicity.' Mr Murphy then posted a livestream video on X in which Egyptian authorities could be seen forcibly dragging some of the participants away from a sit-down protest. The livestream abruptly ended after his phone was taken, a People Before Profit spokesman said, adding that he had been put on a bus for Cairo airport. A post by an administrator on his X account says: 'We urgently need Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Harris to intervene, demand he is freed, his passport and phone returned and the protesters are allowed to peacefully march to Gaza.' On request for a comment, a spokesman for Mr Harris referred to a statement from the Department of Foreign Affairs. The statement said the department was 'closely monitoring the situation' along with its embassy in Egypt. 'Embassy officials are engaging with the relevant local authorities and are in contact with EU and other partners regarding the situation. 'The department is in contact with a number of citizens and is providing advice and guidance. 'As set out in our travel advice, the vicinity of the Rafah border crossing is particularly dangerous at the moment and the border crossing is currently closed.'
Washington Post
02-06-2025
- General
- Washington Post
Antisemitism does not respect national borders
The walkers in Boulder, Colorado, had gathered peacefully every Sunday afternoon at 1 o'clock to ensure that the world did not forget hostages Hamas still holds, more than 600 days after the terrorist attacks against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The Boulder effort, part of a global initiative called Run for Their Lives, has been profound yet modest: just a few dozen people wearing red, walking along a pedestrian mall and saying the captives' names.
