A POLITICAL MURAL in west Belfast criticising White House visits by Irish politicians over St Patrick’s weekend has been repainted exactly as it was after being defaced.
The mural depicted US president Joe Biden with blood on his hands, and the word ‘Gaza’ appearing in the blood.
It showed Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald, Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar, and Tánaiste and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin kneeling before Biden while each holding out a shamrock.
The accompanying text read: “Ireland says no to genocide Joe.”
The mural was completely daubed over in black paint in recent days but has since been repainted in the same spot.
The mural depicts a drawing by Carlos Latuff, a Brazilian political cartoonist, and was replicated on a wall close to the Divis Tower in west Belfast by local graffiti artists.
In a post on X on Monday, Latuff said the mural has been “brought to life again by the hands of real Irish Republicans”.
However, earlier Latuff said he was surprised that the mural he inspired was defaced, and reserved particular criticism for Sinn Féin.
Sinn Féin is the largest political party in the North, where its vice-president Michelle O’Neill is the first minister.
Latuff said in his social media post: “I’ve already had graffiti about police brutality defaced in Brazil. My cartoons are banned in Turkey, Egypt and Bahrain.
“But in N. Ireland under the Sinn Féin government?
“Usually, only dictatorships see cartoons as a threat. Isn’t N. Ireland a democracy?”
I received with some surprise the news that one of my cartoons converted into a mural in Belfast was defaced. The cartoon in question criticizes the decision of the Irish republican parties Sinn Fein, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to celebrate St Patrick's Day with Joe Biden...(cont) pic.twitter.com/xoY6Ig5HM3
— Carlos Latuff (@LatuffCartoons) March 10, 2024
He said he hope the painting “doesn’t suffer any more attacks like this, because I believe that the Sinn Féin government and its allies should respect freedom of speech”.
He also claimed that anyone “fraternizing with him (Biden) is now complicit in his crimes”.
In a statement to The Journal, a Sinn Féin spokesperson said the party “respects people’s right to free speech”.
The spokesperson added: “We have been clear and unequivocal in calling for an immediate ceasefire, for humanitarian aid and for an end to Israel’s genocidal war against the Palestinian people.
Sinn Féin has been criticised for its decision to attend the White House for the St Patrick’s Day celebrations, but leader Mary Lou McDonald said the visit will be an opportunity for Ireland to send “a very clear message” to US leaders over the situation in Gaza.
Yesterday, she visited Detroit Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, who McDonald described as a “powerful voice for Palestine in the US Congress”.
Met with @RashidaTlaib - a powerful voice for Palestine in the US Congress. We stand with her in calling for a ceasefire, an end to occupation and a free Palestine. #ceasefirenow pic.twitter.com/v5ZKRSsuMm
— Mary Lou McDonald (@MaryLouMcDonald) March 12, 2024
After the meeting, Tlaib posted on X that she is “so grateful for and inspired by the Irish solidarity with the Palestinian people”.
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood is not attending the White House in protest at the situation in Gaza.
“I could not rub shoulders, drink Guinness, and have the craic while the horrifying impacts of the brutal war in Gaza continues,” said Eastwood.
“It would be the very opposite of solidarity with a people on the brink of destruction.”
The Irish government has also been criticised for maintaining the tradition amid the conflict in Gaza.
Speaking in January, Tánaiste Micheál Martin said that cancelling the trip to Washington over America’s support for Israel “doesn’t make sense”.
“You have to engage,” he said.
“The only way to increase pressure, the only way you can get a resolution on this is to get international pressure that is so overwhelming that there is a stop to the violence.”
Meanwhile, Transport Minister and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said in January that St Patrick’s Day events are an opportunity to “get that message out” to call for a Gaza ceasefire.
In his first speech during a week-long visit to the States for the St Patrick’s Day celebrations, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar called for humanitarian ceasefire in Palestine and said the “cries of the innocent will haunt us forever if we stay silent”.
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