Brave Limerick Man Interrupts Israeli Team At Frisbee Championship As IPSC Shamefully Disavow Action

At the World Frisbee Championship match between Israel and Germany held in the University of Limerick on the 16th of August, a brave Limerick man by the name of John Maloney interrupted the game. 

He ran onto the pitch, bringing the game to a stop. He was immediately arrested by Gardaí, cautioned at the station and let go. The direct action was preceded by a protest of about 60 pro-Palestine locals, who called out Israel as “baby killers” and “thieves”. The organisers of the match changed the venue at the last minute, but the quick-thinking protesters found the new location soon thereafter.

Zoe Lawlor, Chairperson of Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC), told the Gardaí she had no idea who John was, despite knowing him. She shamefully distanced herself and the IPSC from the direct action. She told the Gardaí that he “has nothing to do with the IPSC”, “I don’t know who the man is” and when challenged on it, she said “I'm handling this, go away”, according to eyewitness reports from the ground. The Garda in charge subsequently told John that he was “very disappointed as our 'leader' [Zoe Lawlor, Chairperson of IPSC] had told them it would be a peaceful protest and there would be no trouble”. 

“I had a rolled up Palestinian flag in my pocket and decided 10 minutes into the game to scale the fence and run on the field.  I believed others would follow.  The game was obviously stopped and I was duly arrested and handcuffed on the side of the pitch opposite the protest. Only my wife Simone and a couple of close comrades came around the fenced off pitch to support me. The game continued, as did the chanting and flag waving. The squad car pulled up and I was bundled in" said John in a statement to Aontacht Media. 

“The garda in charge told me that they were  "very disappointed as our 'leader' had told them it would be a peaceful protest and there would be no trouble". I can only assume the leader he spoke of was Zoe Lawlor, the IPSC Chairperson who was central and leading the chants. When Simone went back to the protest Zoe was in conversation with the guards and directly told the Guards that she ‘didn't know who that man was’ referring to me. Simone attempted to speak and was told by Zoe ‘that I'm handling this, go away’, “ he explained. 

“Our feeling on this is that a significant battle and opportunity has been lost. The participation of a Zionist team should never have been allowed to proceed. The IPSC failed to mobilise this as a national protest and effectively sabotaged any chance of disruption.  They not only colluded with the Guards and event organisers but have handed the Israelis a sportswashing victory that they will claim far and wide and form  part of the normalisation of the Zionist state. This was a superb opportunity where a mass mobilisation could have stopped the game and a small but significant victory could be claimed by those who claim to oppose Genocide and Zionist aggression, “ he concluded. 

This is not the first time that the IPSC has come under fire for its behaviour in moderating the Palestine movement, as they are known to be collaborators with the Gardaí, discouraging direct action and have opposed socialist republican activists.