ISRAEL’S WAR ON Gaza has cast a shadow over US election events in Ireland tonight as pro-Palestine protesters demonstrated at two separate viewing parties in Dublin.
Earlier tonight, guests arriving at an event hosted by the US Ambassador to Ireland in the Guinness Storehouse were met with chants of “baby killers” and “genocide supporters”.
Activists partially disrupted passing traffic as a queue of taxis dropped off some of the expected attendees from the 1,000-long guest lists.
The demonstrators were raising concerns about the US state’s support of Israel during its ongoing war in Gaza and the expanding nature of the conflict in the Middle East.
Waving Palestinian flags and using megaphones, they chanted: “Genocide supporters, shame on you.”
One of the protesters, Devan O’Brien told The Journal that he was there tonight to object Irish support of the American Ambassador.
“America is supporting a genocidal regime that is killing children, how anyone could support that is beyond me.
“I love the Americans, but not what is happening in the Middle East,” O’Brien said.
He added that he fears a Trump win tonight will be the worst outcome for the people of Gaza.
A couple of hours later, a watch party organised by Democrats Abroad was disrupted when a small group of pro-Palestine supporters crashed the event and blocked the main screen that was streaming CNN.
The demonstrators, who carried a Palestine flag and a horn speaker, were removed after approximately 10 minutes, but not before they set off a stink bomb.
Attendees and staff reported an altercation between some attendees and protesters, with one organiser describing attendees’ reaction to the disturbance as “extremely annoyed”.
One attendee told The Journal that he was spat on and witnessed someone “being put in a headlock”. He said he has attended pro-Palestine protests himself and respects why the demonstrators were protesting tonight but believes “there is a limit”.
At the Democrats Abroad event, hundreds of Americans have gathered in the bar of the Arlington Hotel in Dublin for the night to watch the results come in.
As of 2am, the mood remains positive in the bar as attendees, fuelled on pizza, watch CNN and chat over drinks.
Cheers erupted shortly after 1pm as the projection was made that Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren’s senate seats were safe.
Speaking to The Journal, Democrats Abroad Secretary, Amy McGovern, described her mood as “confident”.
From Pennsylvania, the swing state won by Biden in 2020, McGovern said her sense is that there are more silent Democratic voters than projected.
“I’m from a county that is a swing county. I think people are saying they support Trump but secretly support Harris, they just don’t want people to know because they don’t want to go against the grain,” McGovern said.
McGovern is so opposed to Trump and what he stands for that she can’t even bring herself to say his name.
“He’s a disgrace, he only cares about himself. It’s not about policy, it’s I, I, I with him,” she said.
“I think we need a woman, desperately. Especially on the world stage, I think it would show that we are moving forwards, not backwards. We’ve been going backwards recently but I’m trying to be hopeful that we can move forward towards a better and more fair and equitable future.”
Another attendee, Randy, who only wanted his first name published, told The Journal that he expects Harris to win “by a landslide”.
“I might be wrong, but I’d be very disappointed if I was. I view Trump being elected as the end of democracy, not just for America but largely for the world.”
Meanwhile, earlier tonight at the Ambassador’s viewing event in the Guinness Storehouse, attendees were less willing to discuss their views on who should win.
Roughly 1,000 people, including Irish politicians and diplomats, gathered at the Guinness Storehouse for the event hosted by Claire Cronin, the US Ambassador to Ireland.
Cronin, a Biden appointee, gave a short speech at the event and would only go as far to predict that no matter the results of the election, the relationship between the US and Ireland will remain strong.
Meanwhile, inside the Storehouse US Ambassador to Ireland Claire Cronin has just made a (very short) speech.
— Jane Matthews (@janeematthews) November 5, 2024
Her only prediction for the night: Regardless of whether Donald Trump or Kamala Harris wins tonight, US and Irish relations will remain strong. @thejournal_ie pic.twitter.com/AA8VjBkxCP
Among the attendees were numerous Irish TDs and senators, including former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Justice Minister Helen McEntee and Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl.
Guests were served complimentary beer, wine and soft drinks and feed on the quintessential American cuisine of hotdogs and burgers.
Multiple cardboard cutouts of the two presidential candidates were dotted around the venue for guests to take photos with, while on one floor a giant screen airing CNN dominated the room.
At the time of publication, the New York Times’ election needle is currently giving Donald Trump a 69% chance of victory. TJ Mulloy and Amy McGovern from Democrats Abroad remain optimistic though: “It’s still early”.
Are they feeling as positive as they were at the start of the night?
“About the same,” is TJ Mulloy’s response.
With additional reporting from PA
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say