Transport Minister Eamon Ryan has been urged to ban the US from sending arms to Israel via Shannon Airport.
Today, civil servant at his Department arrived to find the building had been occupied by pro-Palestinian activisits, waving flags and urging Minister Ryan to “stand with the Palestinian people”.
“The Palestinian people have asked for solidarity [and] to stop arming Israel,” Dublin4Gaza spokesperson Jordy Smyth said.
“This is a very material way that the Irish people [can] show solidarity with the people of Palestine… So, we’re saying that planes chartered by the US military [carrying weapons and munitions] should not be allowed to stop over in Shannon Airport.
“Minister Eamon Ryan has a direct role in granting these exemptions, so we’re saying he should stop.”
Ms Smyth said some civil servants working the Department have spoken to the protesters expressing sympathy with their point of view.
No one has told the group to leave and they plan on staying put for the time being.
“We’re going to try to get him [Eamon Ryan] to come down and talk to us or send someone to talk to us,” Ms Smyth.
“We’re going to stand outside here and just try and make people aware of the Department of Transport’s role in allowing the US Army to use Shannon as a military airbase.”
Exemptions
Under the Air Navigation (Carriage of Munitions of War, Weapons and Dangerous Goods) Order 1973, munitions can only be flown through Shannon Airport if an exemption is granted by the Department of Transport - who consult with the Departments of Foreign Affairs and Justice beforehand.
So far this year, 1,026 applications have been made requesting exemptions, of which 997 have been granted, seven have been refused and a further 26 have been cancelled.
Help for Palestine
Since October 7th, the Government has backed Israel’s right to defend itself but been critical of the way the IDF is carrying out its war on Hamas.
"We fully stand over Israel's right to defend itself, condemn the terrorists who attacked their civilians,” Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said after a European Council meeting last month.
"But how the response is conducted is important in terms of future security for the whole region, including here in the European Union… What we want is the killing and the violence to stop so that humanitarian aid can get into Gaza where innocent Palestinian people are suffering.”
The Department of Transport has been contacted for comment.
Main image: Pro-Palestine protest in the Department of Transport.
