Fermoy's solidarity with Palestine continues to grow
Almost two months since the Fermoy Palestine Solidarity Campaign began, the group continues to gather each Friday on Kent Bridge to raise awareness for the plight of Palestine.
Recently, members of the groups attended talks given by Senator Frances Black in UCC and Cobh regarding the importance of enacting the Occupied Territories Bill which she introduced to ‘disrupt this cycle of condemnation and inaction’.
Senator Black tabled the bill in the Oireachtas in Jan 2018 stating that ‘trade in settlement goods sustains injustice.’ She called for the banning of goods originating in the settlements that are universally recognised as illegal.
According to the Senator, current talk of Ireland recognising Palestinian statehood is ‘good news’ along with the Irish Strategic Investment Fund which has divested from several firms operating in illegal Israeli settlements.
However, she said: “If Ireland is serious about Palestinian statehood, we need to take action against illegal Israeli settlements which undermine the geographic and demographic basis of a future Palestinian state,” adding that recognising Palestinian statehood without passing the Occupied Territories
Bill would be ‘an empty gesture’.
Senator Black went on to call for economic and diplomatic sanctions and advocated that Irish citizens need to communicate clearly with candidates standing for local and European elections in the coming weeks.
SOCIAL INJUSTICE
Imelda O'Donovan, of the Fermoy Palestine Solidarity Campaign, spoke on the Occupied Territories Bill.
"All of us individually and collectively need to do more, small steps and symbolic gestures won’t stop the genocide we are witnessing on a daily basis," she said.
New legislation called the Arms Embargo Bill has also been introduced by Senator Black and her colleagues in the Seanad Civil Engagement Group which would mandate that the minister reject any application for planes transferring weaponry to Israel or to countries that arm Israel.
This comes as recent reports claim that Irish exports of dual use items which have both military and civilian functions to Israel grew from €11 million to €70 million last year.
In Fermoy, the Fermoy Palestine Solidarity Campaign continues to grow and expand, asserting that it is a group committed to social justice and human rights.
Throughout Cork county, there are several similar groups nestled under the umbrella group of the Cork Palestine Solidarity Campaign which brings groups together and organises events such as the weekly protest rally held each Saturday in the Grand Parade at 1pm, national and international speakers including Senator Frances Black, Dr Susan Power and Dr Nick Maynard, demonstrations, boycotts and various fundraising events and activities.
As a mother, local woman Imelda O'Donovan, said that she finds it particularly harrowing to watch the 'relentless cruelty inflicted on the innocent children of Gaza'.
"The forced starvation; the injured and sick unable to get medical care or basic pain relief; the brutal shootings and bombings that are killing and maiming thousands of babies and children and the look of sheer shock and fear in their eyes. It will take several generations to overcome this trauma. It is so easy to let helplessness and despair overtake us and immobilize us but this is not something any of us can afford to let happen. We need to stay strong and be the voice of those who have been silenced. We need to be the beacons of light across the world who stand up and say to our world leaders ‘not in my name’.
“History is in the making and we are watching this unfold in real time before our eyes. None of us can say in years to come that we didn’t know this was happening. We have both an individual and a collective responsibility to insist that the disproportionate actions of the Israeli Government and soldiers must stop; a permanent ceasefire must be reached and vital medical and food aid be allowed to reach the people of Gaza without the fear of aid convoys and aid workers being targeted. Medical staff, paramedics, ambulances and hospitals must not be targeted and essential resources such as water, food, oil and electricity must not be used as weapons of war,” Ms O’Donovan said.
STANDING IN SOLIDARITY
Each Friday, the Fermoy Palestine Solidarity Campaign gather on Kent Bridge from 4.30pm to 5.30pm, waving both Palestinian and Irish flags and asking passing motorists to honk their horns in solidarity. “This has gained momentum each week with more and more cars, trucks and buses getting involved. People are welcome to just to turn up and stand with us. Both adults and children have made posters and placards which is lovely to see,” Ms O’Donovan added. The group aims to create a reflective space for people to come together and take time to reflect on what is happening and the impact it is having across the globe.
On the last Friday of each month at the Band Stand in the Fermoy Town Park, the Fermoy Palestine Solidarity Campaign hosts a candlelit vigil from 7pm to 8pm which the group
states is not about protesting or demonstrating, but about creating a respectful and supportive space where people can share stories, poems and songs to express their emotions and experiences.
A key aim of the group is to keep informed and keep others informed of the current situation in Palestine and in particular, Gaza, which is done through attending events where speakers with first-hand knowledge and experience of Palestine share their insights.
'NOT IN OUR NAME'
The group also participate in county events, in particular, the weekly Saturday rally in Daunt Square in Cork city where each week, they bring the Fermoy Palestine Solidarity Campaign banner. People are welcome to turn up and walk with the local group on the day. “To sum up, we are a small country which has always punched beyond its weight. We led out in the South African anti-apartheid movement when our two Dunnes Stores workers Mary Manning and Karren Gearon refused to handle South African oranges back in 1984. We have the power to
lead the world again, we have a common shared history of being a colonised country who suffered a catastrophic enforced famine in 1845. We understand what it is like to be an occupied country and the importance of liberation, independence and freedom. That is why so many of us feel such solidarity towards the Palestinian people and outrage towards the brutality of the Israeli regime," Ms O’Donovan said.
“No matter how
small, every action we take makes a difference. The important thing is to act. This is not a time to sit back passively. Whether you choose to stand on the bridge waving a flag, or participate in a vigil, march in a rally, email, write and talk with elected politicians and those running for election, attend or organise vital fundraising events or write articles, songs or poems, the important thing is to do something. We have an individual and col
lective responsibility to be the voices for those oppressed, to globally unite in solidarity and to be beacons of hope and light for humanity.
"We are witnessing in the words of Scots poet Robert Burns ‘man’s inhumanity to man’ and simultaneously the ever-expanding global Palestinian solidarity movement where masses of people, young and old, are taking to the streets and social media to say ‘Not In Our Name’,” she concluded.