Pro-Palestinian Protesters Pelt Biden with Milk in Ireland

By Staff, Agencies 

Pro-Palestinian protesters threw cartons of milk at former US President Joe Biden during his visit to Trinity College Dublin on Tuesday.

According to the University Times [UT], a student newspaper, the protest broke out after Biden arrived at the university to watch his son, Hunter, receive the Gold Medal for Outstanding Contribution to Public Discourse from the College Historical Society.

Demonstrators chanted “shame on you” and “genocide Joe,” accusing Biden of complicity in “Israel’s” genocide in Gaza, which has left more than 74,600 Palestinians martyred since October 2023 and displaced much of the enclave’s population.

Protesters threw milk cartons as US Secret Service agents escorted the former president and his family from the venue. Security personnel used umbrellas to shield them, while other demonstrators were filmed scuffling with Irish police.

At least two people were arrested. UT reported that officers used batons and pepper spray against protesters.

Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union [TCDSU/AMLCT] and Aontas na Mac Léinn in Éirinn [AMLÉ], Ireland’s national students’ union, condemned the police response. In a joint statement, they said Biden’s “role in the genocide of the Palestinian people is well-documented” and called on the university to revoke the honorary doctorate awarded to him in 2016.

Biden, who has Irish ancestry, faced widespread criticism during his presidency for continuing to provide military and diplomatic support to “Israel”. 

Ireland, one of “Israel’s” most outspoken critics within the EU, formally recognized Palestinian statehood in 2024.