MacManus and Palestinian Ambassador to Ireland to address Sligo public meeting

Sinn Féin MEP Chris MacManus has announced that the Palestinian Ambassador to Ireland, Dr Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid, will be the main speaker at a public meeting in Sligo on Thursday, 2nd June.

The public meeting will be held in the Glasshouse Hotel at 7.30pm that evening and will be part of Ambassador Abdalmajid’s first visit to Sligo. Earlier that day, she will also receive a Civic Reception at Sligo City Hall from Mayor Arthur Gibbons and is expected to visit a local secondary school. 

MEP MacManus was only days ago barred from entering Gaza as part of a European Parliament delegation to Palestine.

Referring to the public meeting, MacManus said:

“I am very pleased Ambassador Wahba Abdalmajid has accepted my invitation to arrange an engagement between her and the people of Sligo. Marie Crawley, the chair of Palestinian rights group Sadaka, will also address the event.

“Sligo has a proud tradition of Palestinian solidarity. Many people will recall when the Palestinian flag flew from Sligo County Council in solidarity with those living under a brutal occupation. For local human rights activists, the annual New Year’s Eve vigil on Hyde Bridge is our local way to focus people’s minds on what is a cruel injustice being inflicted on the Palestinian people. 

“Therefore, this is a unique opportunity to gain a valuable insight into the struggle of the Palestinian people. The recent murder of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh received media attention from around the world. Unfortunately, it is only one example of the harsh reality of Israel’s crushing occupation. UN Rapporteur Michael Lynk along with respected human rights organisations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have plainly called out what we are witnessing, which is a brutal apartheid state. It is therefore all our responsibilities to understand and work to see an end to this injustice.

“The fact that this week Israel barred myself and several other MEPs as part of an official European Parliament Delegation permission to enter Gaza, the day before our departure and without reason, shows it has no interest in respecting human rights.

“So I would encourage anyone with an interest in Palestine to come along to the event and listen to the panel of guest speakers and I very much look forward to the Ambassador experiencing the warm welcome of the people of Sligo and the surrounding counties. ENDS