'An incredible, emotional day,' Long March for Gaza organisers in Inishowen say

The organisers of the Long March for Gaza in Inishowen said they experienced “an incredible, emotional day.”

Inishowen and Gaza are the same length  - 25 miles - but while Inishowen has a population of 40,544, Gaza's population stands at 2.1 million. The Inishowen peninsula covers an area of 884.3 square km, Gaza less than half that.

It was this stark reality that prompted a number of groups actively supporting Palestine to come together to organise the Long March for Gaza.

These groups are the Inishowen, Derry and Letterkenny branches of Irish Palestinian Solidarity Campaign, together with the Strabane BDS group (Boycott, Divest, Sanction).

The Long March on Saturday started at Ireland’s most northerly point, Banba's Crown, Malin Head, at 7:30am, winding its way through the beautiful and scenic Inishowen peninsula, finishing 25 miles later at Buncrana.

“What an incredible, emotional day,” Nora McQuaid posted. “Meanwhile,  the horror continues in Gaza and the West Bank. 

“The wee woman said to me on the way home from Buncrana at 9.30pm last night, Mummy, on the march I sometimes felt bad for feeling so happy, when we were doing it for the kids in Gaza who are being so badly bullied 

“I said, love, when you are with your tribe, people you love around you, people with great hearts, great souls, great determination to stand up for humanity,  to stand up to the bullies, people with great determination for justice and for peace, to speak for those being silenced, speaking up for people in Gaza and all of Palestine,  when we are in solidarity with our sisters and brothers here and there, we will of course feel happy.

“We should and we do of course feel sad and angry for those being bullied, but they need us to turn that into strength and hope and determination to never give up on them.

“And we need to feel the happiness and joy too. Even in the midst of it in Gaza, the kids will find joy my love (I didn't quite believe that last line I told her but we cannot give up striving for an end to genocide - a word I haven't introduced in to her vocabulary yet). Thanks to all the sponsors and incredible people behind the scenes who made this march happen. Saoirse don Phalaistín.”

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"We are marching to honour the dead of Gaza, and to demand a stop to this genocide", a spokesperson said beforehand. "Our government, by its inaction on the Occupied Territories Bill, and by allowing warplanes to use Irish airports and fly through Irish airspace, is complicit in this genocide. It is not generally known but Ireland has the second largest trade with Israel after the US. We want to send out yet another really strong message that this must not be allowed to continue, the killing must stop, the aid must flow in."

Fundraising is also a priority for the organisers of the Long March for Gaza. Donations can be made through sponsorship forms, or online linktr.ee longmarchforgaza