'No apologies': Breakdown of upcoming pro-Palestine meetings in Northern Ireland in the days ahead

One will be at Queen’s University Belfast as part of a two-day conference run by People Before Profit.

The conference is titled “All that’s left: A gathering of radicals” and begins on Friday night with a talk on “transgender Marxism” and ends on Saturday night with one called “Are we on the brink of fascism?”

In between, at 11.15am on Saturday, there’ll be a talk called “Pro Palestine without apologies” with People Before Profit TD Gino Kelly, leading BDS (boycott, divestment, sanctions) campaigner Omar Barghouti, and Leila Shomali.

The latter is described by the party as a Palestinian activist. Information about her for a different upcoming talk at Trinity College Dublin describes her as “a PhD candidate in international law at the National University of Ireland [and] a Palestinian interdisciplinary researcher; her research interests are epistemic oppression, transitional justice, intersectional and decolonial solidarity, decolonisation, twail, and international law vulnerabilities”.

People Before Profit has been in the news in recent days after Belfast MLA Gerry Carroll tweeted “victory to the Palestinian resistance” and “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” (which many interpret as a call for Israeli erasure).

The same slogan was chanted at a rally attended by party members in Dublin on Wednesday night.

Here are links to all our coverage so far of the Israel-Hamas escalation:

• 'How about a crackdown on terror displays in Northern Ireland' says campaigner as UK government demands action against Hamas supporters

• Israel conflict latest: Northern Irish Jew says 'we tried to warn people about Hamas - they want every last one of us dead'

• Israel conflict latest: INLA-linked group holds roadside vigil in Northern Ireland calling for people to 'support the Palestinian resistance'

• Israel conflict latest: WATCH - Republican group Lasair Dhearg broadcasts the message 'smash the Zionists!' onto Belfast City Hall

• Israel conflict latest: VIDEO FOOTAGE - Crowd in Londonderry chants 'from the river to the sea Palestine will be free' on the same day that UK government warns police to be on lookout for that phrase

• Israel-Hamas conflict: No condolence books, Israeli lighting, or flags for major Northern Irish public buildings

• Belfast-based Palestine campaigner calls Hamas incursion into Israel 'a counter-attack' - Amnesty International states latest escalation was caused by Hamas

• DUP human rights spokesman Jim Shannon MP says Hamas should be 'liquidated' and calls for 'aggressive' police crackdown on signs of support for the group

Meanwhile on Saturday, there will be “Palestine solidarity night” in the Culturlann centre on the Falls Road, Belfast, at 7pm, as part of a festival called “Feile na Carriage”.

This is billed as “a night full of music, culture, food and craic to raise money for the Lajee Centre in Aida Camp, Bethlehem in Palestine”.

The programme brochure continues: “We’ll hear from Lajee director Mohammad Alazzah about their work in Lajee and the current conditions there.

"We will also have Ainle Ó Cairealláin, Founder of Aclaí Palestine to talk about the amazing work that Aclaí have done with the people in the Aida camp. Bígí linn! Free Palestine!”

(Among other events at the same festival is one on “the need to ‘De-Anglicise’ Ireland, and its continuing relevance to the Ireland’s [sic] unfinished project of Decolonisation”).

But probably the pro-Palestine biggest event will be on Sunday, when a march will be held from Writers’ Square at the north end of Belfast city centre to City Hall.

It is billed as starting from noon, and the 11/1 lodged with the Parades Commission says it could involve up to 500 people.

A flyer for the event says: "March for Palestine / right to exist / right to resist".

The march is supported by the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign, United Against Racism, End Deportations Belfast, Jews for Palestine Ireland, Trade Union Friends of Palestine, and Cairde Palestine (another Belfast-based solidarity group).