Mothers arrested after taking part in protest against Israel’s war against Hamas

A  number of people taking part in a protest against Israel’s war against Hamas were arrested after the entrance to Leinster House in Dublin was blocked.

A group of women had gathered for a vigil organised by the Mothers Against Genocide group on Sunday.

It was to mark Mother’s Day and to remember the children and mothers killed in Gaza.

The group held an overnight protest calling on the Government to do more about the conflict in the Gaza Strip.

Protesters who staged a sit-down protest in front of the Leinster House gates were forcibly removed.

They had been due to read out a letter calling on the Government to enact the Occupied Territories Bill, and to prevent the use of Irish airspace to carry weapons to Israel.

The group placed photographs of Palestinian children killed by Israeli forces along the gates and railings of Leinster House.

Gardai said they told protesters who were blocking the gates to clear the entrance.

Megan Ni Ghabhlain, a member of Mothers Against Genocide, said: “Eight of us were removed and arrested by gardai.

“Eight mothers who had obligations today, school runs that they were going to be collecting their children from, and the aim of those mothers was to prevent the slaughter of innocent children.

“Last night we came together to honour the 18,000 children who have been brutally murdered with a beautiful vigil.

“We had displays of the gorgeous children who we wanted to humanise, that they are not just numbers to become desensitised to.

“These are children who had bright hopes and dreams, just like our own, and were loved as much as we love our own.

“Unfortunately the gardai decided to come down and remove these precious faces of these children in the most disrespectful manner, so we decided we would sit with our pillow babies in solidarity with these women, whose children have been murdered.”

In a statement, a garda spokesman said: “Gardai were aware of a public gathering on Kildare Street, Dublin 2, which commenced last night.

“Any garda response in relation to evolving events is in keeping with a community policing model and graduated policing response, taking into account relevant legislation and public safety.

“This morning a number of individuals continued to block the entrance to Dail Eireann at Kildare Street.

“Following engagement with the individuals, a direction was given under the Public Order Act.

“As this direction was not complied with, following a period of time, a number of individuals were arrested for offences contrary to the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994 and are currently detained at Garda stations in the Dublin metropolitan region.

“No further details are available at this time.”