Protestors defy downpour to show support for Palestine

Protestors defy downpour to show support for Palestine

1 October 2025

LOCAL residents turned out in force in Downpatrick on Saturday to demand an immediate end to Israel’s war on Palestine.

The protest, organised by Friends of Palestine Downpatrick, drew support from across the region, with representatives from Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) Newry, Mourne for Palestine, and Castlewellan for Palestine joining the call for urgent action.

Protesters accused Western governments, including the UK and Ireland, of complicity in what many international observers have described as genocide.

“Our message is clear: end the siege on Gaza, impose sanctions and stop supporting actions that violate international law,” said Gerard Downey, a speaker at the event and member of BDS Newry.

“By using tactics like boycotts, divestment and sustained grassroots pressure, we can hold corporations and institutions accountable for profiting from occupation and injustice.”

Despite the severe weather, the demonstration remained spirited and peaceful, with chants and placards demanding justice for Palestinian civilians and an end to Israel’s military assault on Gaza. 

Since October 2023, Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has killed over 65,000 Palestinians, the vast majority of them women and children, according to international aid organisations and UN reports.

Entire neighbourhoods have been flattened, hospitals and schools bombed, and more than a million people displaced, with humanitarian agencies warning of famine, disease and the total collapse of civil society.

Protesters called this not just a foreign policy failure, but a moral and humanitarian crisis that demands immediate response.

“Ordinary people here in Downpatrick are doing what our politicians won’t, standing up and speaking out against injustice,” said another attendee.

“Enough is enough. Governments must act now or be held accountable for their silence.”

Organisers said Saturday’s protest is part of a wider campaign across the island as a whole to build pressure from the ground up.

More actions are planned in the weeks ahead, with campaigners urging politicians and businesses to take a stand.

The next local demonstration for Palestine takes place in Castlewellan this Sunday at 12pm.