Anti-Israel protesters swarmed Joe Biden’s motorcade in Dublin, Ireland, where he had come to watch his son Hunter receive a student society’s gold medal, and Irish police arrested two men.
Story Highlights
- Protesters gathered outside Trinity College Dublin during Biden’s surprise visit and chanted “Genocide Joe” and “Blood on your hands.”
- Milk cartons and other objects were thrown as Biden left, and his security team shielded him with umbrellas.
- Irish police arrested two men in their 50s, and one has since been charged.
- The protesters were angry over Biden’s support for Israel during the war in Gaza.
- Biden was in Dublin to watch Hunter Biden receive the Gold Medal for Outstanding Contribution to Public Discourse.
A Family Visit Turns Into a Confrontation
On Tuesday, November 10, former President Joe Biden, 83, made a surprise trip to Trinity College Dublin. He and former first lady Jill Biden came to watch their son Hunter Biden receive the Gold Medal for Outstanding Contribution to Public Discourse. The award comes from the College Historical Society, known as “the Hist,” a student debating club founded in 1770. The society said Hunter’s “recent advocacy on the state of American politics and media” and his work on “matters of addiction and recovery” made him “a commendable figure.”
The protesters came for a different reason. They blame Biden for his handling of the war in Gaza, including the military aid his administration sent to Israel. As the ceremony went on inside, a crowd outside carried Palestinian and Irish flags and chanted “Genocide Joe,” “Blood on your hands” and “Shame on you.” One protester told reporters, “We are not complicit in genocide. Joe Biden is not allowed on campus.”
Objects Thrown as the Motorcade Pulls Away
The trouble came as the Bidens walked out to their cars. Some people in the crowd pushed forward, and objects were thrown, including cartons of milk aimed at the vehicle Biden was getting into. His close protection officers, the bodyguards who travel with him, raised umbrellas to shield him. One object was blocked by an umbrella. Biden was escorted into a waiting car, and the motorcade drove off quickly.
The crowd then turned on the police and chanted “Shame on you.” Footage showed one officer using a baton on a protester who was being held down. The editor of a Trinity student newspaper said officers also used pepper spray on two protesters.
What Police Said
Ireland’s police force is called the GardaÃ. A Garda spokeswoman said two men in their 50s were arrested in connection with a public order incident, meaning disorder in a public place, at the college. On Wednesday, November 11, she said, “A male (aged in his 50s) has since been charged and is due to appear before Court.” Police have not released the man’s name, the exact charge or whether either man is a student.
According to reports, the two men pushed through the crowd toward Biden as he left. Both men are accused, not convicted, and the charged man will have his day in court.
Students Push Back on Police
The Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union took the protesters’ side. In a post online, the union said it was “appalled” by the police response to what it called a “peaceful protest.” It asked the university to look into how officers acted. “Students have every right to protest [Biden’s] visit, challenge those in positions of power,” the union said. Biden’s office did not respond to a request for comment, according to reports.
Biden’s day in Dublin was not all protest. Earlier, he met Ireland’s prime minister, Taoiseach Micheál Martin, for coffee at a Dublin hotel. Martin said he thanked Biden for his strong support of Ireland during the Brexit fight and the Northern Ireland peace process.
Why It Matters to American Readers
The fight over Israel and Gaza did not stay on American campuses. A former U.S. president came to a college abroad for a family moment and left behind a wall of umbrellas while objects flew at his car. People have every right to speak out on war and foreign policy. Throwing things at a motorcade is a different matter, and Irish police treated it that way. A rule that protects peaceful protest also protects the people being protested.
Sources:
foxnews.com, irishstar.com, bbc.com, metro.co.uk, uk.news.yahoo.com, kentonline.co.uk
