The Occupied Territories Bill would make it an offence for a person to import or sell goods or services originating in an occupied territory such as Gaza or the West Bank

Demo calls for Occupied Territories Bill to be enacted

by · RTE.ie

A demonstration calling on the Government to enact the Occupied Territories Bill has taken place outside Leinster House this afternoon.

The demonstration marked the arrival of South Kerry Friends of Palestine at the Dáil after completing an 11-day relay walk from Co Kerry, during which they collected 40,000 signatures in support of enacting the bill.

The demonstration, which resulted in traffic diversions away from Molesworth Street, was addressed by a number of speakers including independent Senator Frances Black, who authored the bill.

It calls for a ban on the importation or sale of goods that are manufactured in illegal settlements in the West Bank and Gaza.

Some demonstrators had completed an 11-day relay walk from Kerry before gathering outside Leinster House

"The Irish people want to see tangible action from the Government. We are saying that Ireland really has to go with international human rights. It is about international law and human rights so we have to pass the bill," Ms Black said.

One of the walkers from South Kerry said the journey was 341km in total.

"We walked all the way in relays from Cahersiveen, the birthplace of Daniel O' Connell in Co Kerry, here to the gates of Leinster House to present a petition to appeal to members of the Oireachtas to enact the bill," said Breandán Ó Caoimh from Cahersiveen.

"Ireland need to take a stand and use the economic levers available to us," he said.