Enquiries are being conducted by the police following disruption by pro-Palestinian protestors during a council meeting in Londonderry on Wednesday. The protestors, some of whom were wearing masks, unveiled a banner with the slogan “Expel the Israeli Ambassador.” However, the banner’s ‘s’ letters were styled similarly to the insignia of the Waffen-SS, a Nazi military unit. The protestors were calling for the Derry and Strabane Council to fully execute a motion to boycott Israeli goods.
The protest was hampered when some unionist councillors denounced the protest as anti-Semitic. One councillor representing the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) group on the council said that protestors “proceeded to unfurl an anti-Semitic banner and, at other stages, abused elected representatives present and engaged in anti-Semitic chanting.” Meanwhile, the mayor, Sinn Féin’s Patricia Logue, suspended the meeting early stating that the protest had left some staff feeling unnerved.
Catherine Hutton of the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign, who had been due to speak during the meeting, expressed her disapproval of the Nazi insignia whilst maintaining agreement with the statement. She told BBC News NI that it was inappropriate and requested that the banner be removed, and anyone wearing masks take them off. She added that the group did not condone any form of anti-Semitism.
The DUP claimed that the protestors entered the chamber unchallenged despite their attempts to raise concerns about the intimidation of elected officials. It is also alleged that those covering their faces were requested by the mayor to remove their masks for the interests of openness. The meeting was ultimately suspended following the incident.
As tensions continue to rise surrounding the current Israel-Gaza conflict, some political parties and campaign groups have called for the expulsion of Israel’s ambassador to Ireland. The incident in Londonderry raises questions over the effectiveness of public protests and their impact on diplomatic relations between countries
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