People Before Profit MLA hits out at 'efforts to silence Belfast pro-Palestinian school pupils - and any criticism of Israeli settler-colonial project'

The West Belfast MLA was speaking after the Prime Minister condemned a display at Colaiste Feirste, Belfast’s sole Irish language secondary school last week, when pupils lined up with print-outs of Palestinian flags and heard a speech from one boy which ended with the words “our revenge will be the laughter of our children” (a Bobby Sands quote).

The footage was tweeted out from the account belonging to the school, then removed, and replaced by a picture from the playground rally instead.

Rishi Sunak said while he was not aware of the specifics of the gathering, but nonetheless said “this malicious activity should not be happening in schools”.

Full story here:

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“Colaiste Feirste pupils should be commended for their outpouring of solidarity with the besieged people of Gaza,” said Mr Carroll on Tuesday.

“Anyone with a conscience will be abhorred by Israel’s genocidal onslaught on the open-air prison of Gaza, where residents have been denied food, water, and medical supplies. We all have a duty to speak out against these horrific war crimes.

“Attempts to silence students for standing up to apartheid and ethnic cleansing are as deplorable as they are hypocritical.

“Those lining up to attack Colaiste Feirste are the same who defend the slaughter of Palestinians and the existence of the apartheid Israeli state.

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“There has been a concerted global effort to silence criticism of Israel's settler-colonial project.

"I stand with the pupils of Colaiste Feirste and everyone who is speaking out against this brutality.”