Galway demonstration calls on Government to stand against US and Israel action in Iran
A demonstration organised by People Before Profit against recent conflict between the US and Iran saw a small turnout in Galway city this week .
A mighty dozen donning flags and drums showed up beside the Quincentennial Fountain in Eyre Square Monday evening, March 2, pushing back on the “intervention by the US and Isreal” into Iran.
Galway activists Denman Rooke, who is also running for the Galway West by-election, and his party colleague Kiran Emirch hosted the event which welcomed PBP members and non-members.
“We believe that the Iranian people should have control of their own country, their own resources. America and Israel are talking about regime change, trying to get rid of the Iranian government, but that is for the Iranian people to decide. It's for them to decide who their government is and who will be in control there,” Mr Emirch told the Irish Independent.
“US or Israeli intervention will not change that. It will not help the Iranian people. It will only cause death and destruction. And we stand with the Iranian people against that.”
“We're against any kind of war or imperialism. We want to see the end of any death or destruction.”
Conor Burke from the Socialist party was in attendance holding the latest issue of The Socialist leaflet for January/February 2026. On it, “the face of gangster capitalism”, Donald Trump.
“Donald Trump, and western imperialism, are sort of throwing their weight around in an attempt to secure the world's resources for their own needs, in a very undemocratic way,” he said.
While he does not support the regimes of Iran, he does believe the decision of government is for the people to decide.
Even in small numbers, there is such an importance for activism on global issues in Galway, Jake Gillen-Summers, a demonstrator told the Irish Independent.
“The significance of protesting in Galway is just the fact that we have that sort of pressure on our own government to apply the pressure internationally to oppose this invasion of the US and Israel.”
“It's just unbelievable really that we are in a day and age where we claim it at peacetimes, but yet we stand idly by as a government against what's essentially rampant warfare for an excuse of freeing the people there.”
Kiran Emirch added: “It's only a small demonstration but it's about sending a message to the Irish government that we don't want to be complicit in any war or conflict, that we want the Irish government to stand up and to condemn the bombing.
“In terms of the wider global solidarity movement, it's about sending a message of solidarity to the Iranian people that there are people in the West who do support them, who don't support the war, don't support military information, and that want to see the Iranian people decide for themselves what happened in their country.”
Another peace event is being held on Wednesday, March 4, 2026 at 6.00pm hosted by the Galway Alliance Against War. The demonstration will take place at the junction of Shop Street/Mainguard Street, “demanding an end to the US-Zionist war against Iran and the lifting of all sanctions.”