O’Connell Bridge in Dublin was blocked on Thursday evening by a protest against Israel’s actions in Gaza. Traffic was disrupted along the quays and O’Connell Street.

Dublin City Council reported that O’Connell Bridge, Bachelors Walk, and Eden Quay had reopened by 8:40 PM.The protest began during evening rush hour, around 6:30 PM.

By 8:00 PM, dozens of protesters had assembled on the bridge, telling The Irish Times they planned to block traffic “for provided that possible.”

Most of the protesters were masked and declined to speak to the media. One masked woman stated they represented a coalition of pro-Palestinian groups across Ireland, but declined to name the specific organizations involved.

“This is a coalition protesting the encroaching invasion of Gaza City and the scale of what is happening right now. We want to disrupt business as usual because the Irish Government is not acting as it should be. It’s giving rhetorical support to Palestine but it’s not actually acting,” she said.

Some commuters exited buses to question and challenge the protesters, but the woman said that overall people had been “understanding.”

“We’ve had a shocking amount of people who have been inconvenienced and are still so supportive of this cause,” she said.

Background: The Israel-Hamas Conflict

The conflict between Israel and Hamas has a long and complex history. The Irish Times provides ongoing coverage of the situation in Gaza and the broader Israel-Hamas conflict.

Recent Developments

On August 21, 2025, foreign ministers jointly condemned Israel’s approval of a settlement project east of Jerusalem. This decision has been widely criticized internationally.