‘I want to use my position’ - Paul Murphy defends participation in Global March to Gaza

The People Before Profit TD returned to Ireland on Wednesday after being detained in Egypt twice during his participation in the march, which featured up to 4,000 people.
 
Recalling his time in Egypt, Mr Murphy admitted he thought the group would "get further than we did get."

Speaking on Ireland AM on Thursday morning, Mr Murphy recalled how the group had to get out of their cars to be met by police at their meeting point.

"They took our passports immediately," he told presenters Muireann O’Connell and Tommy Bowe.

"Then, a few hours later tried to force people, and eventually did successfully, physically move people to get them onto buses.

"Some people, not me, were hurt or kind of beaten by the police in trying to do so," he claimed.

 The Dublin politician explained that the groups were put into buses and small vans and taken to the airport, going a long route which took up to seven hours.

"We got back to Cairo Airport on this Saturday morning and then, we were expecting to be deported at this stage, but they just let us go," he said.

"The police had disappeared. The airport police didn’t know what to do with us, and then we were able to make our way back into Cairo and attempt to regroup."

Tommy then questioned the TD on what he had actually expected to come from the march, as he noted, "you didn’t get far at all."

Responding to criticism from fellow TDs called it the march for publicity for the 42-year-old, rather than for Gaza, Mr Murphy confirmed he was a late-comer to the group.

"I want to use my position, yes, to have publicity," he said,

"Not on me, but on what’s happening in Gaza because, particularly, now with Iran and Israel’s assaults on Iran and the threat of regional war, there’s a danger that eyes go off what’s happening in Gaza when actually it’s getting worse.

‘I think Israel is using the cover of Iran to increase the number of daily killings taking place and think everybody really, but in particular people in the public eye; "people with public positions should do whatever they can to draw awareness to this and to build pressure on Israel and our own Governments."

Social media users were full of praise for the father-of-one, with one person writing:"Well done Paul for creating awareness."

Another added: "Well done, Paul. You are a man with integrity and an inspiration to all. Thank you for raising awareness."

* This article was originally published on Extra.ie.