Huge crowds gathered in Dublin on Saturday afternoon to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. 

Thousands of demonstrators gathered at the Garden of Remembrance on Saturday afternoon before marching through Dublin to the Department of Foreign Affairs at St. Stephen's Green for a rally. 

The Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign organized the "National Demonstration for Palestine" as part of a global day of action in support of Palestine. 

Protestors also called on the Irish Government to impose sanctions on Israel during Saturday's protest. 

Saturday's demonstration, which was supported by over 70 different organizations, was the 13th such demonstration to be held in Dublin since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas War on October 7. 

Demonstrators chanted "Free, free Palestine" and "Ceasefire now" while others carried banners with slogans such as "Freedom and Justice for Palestine". 

A number of Irish activist groups, political parties, trade unions, and student groups from around the country attended Saturday's protest, including the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, and the National Women’s Council of Ireland. 

Saturday's demonstration took place against the backdrop of South Africa's genocide filing against Israel at the International Court of Justice. 

The Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign described the protest as "the biggest Irish protest for Palestine in history"

Zoe Lawlor, Chairperson of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign, said on Saturday that the group was looking for "action from the Irish Government" and also called for sanctions to be imposed on Israel. 

Lawlor also accused the Irish Government of being "very out of step with the Irish people", adding that it was "disappointing" and "shameful" that Ireland didn't support South Africa in the International Court of Justice. 

"We want sanctions on Israel, we want the Occupied Territories Bill to be enacted, we want the Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill to be enacted," Lawlor said on Saturday. 

The Occupied Territories Bill proposes a ban on any goods or services produced in Israeli-occupied territories, even if the goods were only partially produced there. 

Meanwhile, the Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill seeks to compel the Irish Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) to divest itself of holdings in "illegal" Israeli settlements. 

Elsewhere, more than a thousand people gathered in Cork on Saturday for a pro-Palestinian demonstration, while thousands also gathered in London as part of the global day of action. 

Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald addressed protestors in London, stating that she believes Palestinian freedom is possible. 

"When I say this, standing in London, in common cause with you, (having) walked our own journey out of conflict, building peace for 25 years, this can happen," McDonald told the London crowd on Saturday. 

"This must happen and we will ensure that it does."