In pictures: Huge turnout for Palestine Solidarity ‘Mourning March’ in Buncrana

A huge turnout for ‘Mourning March’  in Buncrana was “beyond our expectations for a rural area,” the Inishowen Palestine Solidarity Group has said.

“We are heartened but not surprised by the  number of people who wanted to share their humanity and outrage at the brutal genocide in Palestine,” a spokeswoman for the group said. 

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“Their grief was profound as the pain etched on their faces is evidenced in the pictures taken,” she added.

“The silent, mournful procession kicked off at 3pm from the river at Cockhill Bridge where IPSC member, Nina Quigley, read the names of  just some of the innocent civilians that had been killed during the week,  aged from six months to people in their 60s. She also read a poem written by a Palestinian friend in Gaza, called Farah about a little baby who perished in the genocide.

“This was followed by Father Paddy Baker saying a prayer for the dead,” added the spokesperson.

The silent procession of an estimated 350 people, accompanied by a lone drummer, proceeded from Cockhill through to Main Street and around to St Mary’s road, on to the sea, at the Shorefront. “The hush, walking through the streets of Buncrana, with only the sound of a single, intermittent beat of the drum evoked tears and sobs as people really felt they were attending a funeral for the thousands and thousands of people murdered in the Genocide in Palestine,” said group member, Christine McGillan.

At the Shorefront, local songwriter Bernie Doherty sang her self-penned song, None of Us are Free, which was followed by speeches from Dr Siofra Nic Bhreithuin and Christine McGillan.   Both women were emotional and in tears as they spoke. 

Dr Siofra conveyed what she heard from a presentation by Dr Nick Maynard at Féile Derry earlier in the week, about the horrific injuries volunteer medics are trying to treat. The bodies of malnourished people, mostly children who will not heal, even after life-saving surgeries have been performed.  Their starved and ravished bodies are too weak to fight. Many of the surgeries carried out without anaesthesia as Israel has prevented any medical aid  from entering  the besieged strip since March this year. Baby formula has been removed  by Israel from volunteer medics as they enter Gaza.

Local activist Christine McGillan spoke about some of the people murdered this week, including Saloua Dahlam, “a woman who was alone on the streets. Her parents dead and family scattered due to the many displacements. She was too weak to seek food and was found  alone and dead in the street as forced starvation caused her death.”

“Who will grieve for Saloua? she asked.”

She also called on people to write to Fifa and ask their local clubs to write to Fifa to ban Israel, show them the “red card”. 

 “Especially in the light of the targeted murder  earlier this week of Palestine National team player, Suleiman  al-Obeid affectionately known as the Pele of Palestine who leaves a wife and five children.”

“A friend, who lives in Belfast,  Dabka dance teacher, Mustafa Alsaidi had to watch on his phone as his father, Osama Asaidi and 27 year old brother Yousef’s bodies were carried out of the rubble in the wee small hours of  Tuesday morning and buried in a makeshift grave yard, after they were targeted by a missile which killed them both. While Osama’s wife and mother of Yousef, along with her older son and daughter watched on their phones in Egypt, where they had escaped to before the Rafah crossing was closed. It’s so brutal, how do you cope with that” said MS McGillan. 

She also reminded people that  “Majida Al Askari, beloved member of the Inishowen group has lost more than 30 members of her family, tragically the number increases weekly and Majida has lost many friends too.”

Local poet Kay Ward read her poem Candle, about the power that we have on our phones to share the truth. 

An ancient and beautiful lament was played by  local fiddler, Padraig O Brian, accompanied by Paul Herron called, don Oiche Úd I mBeithil - That Night In Bethlehem,  which moved people to tears and not for the first time during the proceedings.

Local group member and activist,and MC on the day, Miriam Killeney played the Adhan, which she had recorded while visiting Hebron in 2021.  “Proceedings were brought to a close when local singer and group member, Bernie Doherty said she wanted to finish with a song of hope and everyone joined her in singing the old civil rights song, We Shall Overcome,” Ms McGillan said.

The IPSC would like to thank the wonderful humanitarian people of the district and from all over the county and for those who came from neighbouring counties and the visitors to Inishowen who joined them from Dundee, Edinburgh, Manchester and Australia. 

A huge thank you to the people from the medical profession who turned out in their uniforms and scrubs.

Additionally the group  thanked Fr Paddy Baker, all the poets, musicians, singers and speakers and Ryan McGrath for drumming, who all made this heartbreaking event such a success.

The Inishowen group can be contacted on its Facebook and Instagram pages, where clips from the event can be viewed in full or  contact through their email ipscinishowen@gmail.com.