Freedom for Israelis complicit in genocide to visit Ireland visa-free, and punishment for Palestinians who have survived that genocide and earned scholarships to study at Irish universities.
Eoghan Ó'Ceannabháin spoke to the crowd of hundreds, saying -
''You can be a member of the IOF and commit a genocide, you can bomb a hospital, you can shoot a child, you can destroy Gaza. Then you can come here and see the Cliffs of Moher or have a pint in a Dublin Pub''
That is the double standard being enforced under Jim 0'Callaghan's Department of Justice. Gazan students applied for scholarships to Irish universities while living through genocide, displacement and the destruction of almost every basic service around them. They secured those scholarships, navigated enormous obstacles to continue their education, and did everything in their power to reach Ireland, only to have their visas refused against standards that are practically impossible to meet from Gaza. Their scholarships are supported by universities and philanthropy, with people and institutions here actively working to give them the opportunity to study.
Yet the Department of Justice is standing in their way and making itself complicit in israeli scholasticide. Jim O'Callaghan needs to explain how this can possibly be justified. One rule for those implicated in the destruction of Gaza, another for civilians who survived it and are clinging to the possibility of a future beyond the rubble. Grant the students their visas. Let them study.