Fly a Kite for Gaza - Scotsman’s Bay, Dún Laoghaire

It's been four months since I last photographed a fundraiser for Palestine. I'm not sure how or why it's been so long, you think you are too busy, you let other things get in the way... Maybe I was just being lazy.

Anyway, on Saturday, I ended up in Scotsman’s Bay, between Sandycove and Dún Laoghaire to watch good people Fly a Kite for Gaza, or. in my case, buy a few cakes for Gaza, as part of a fundraiser run by Mothers Against Genocide.

I've never seen so many adults teaching their children how to fly a kite... I say teaching, but you all know the truth, the kids barely got a look in!! The last time I remember flying a kite was in the 70s, when my dad brought home a load of KP Star Wars kites. As kites went, they looked great, but, in reality, they were more fragile than my mental health!

Anyway, I got to catch up with some familiar faces in the crowd, I tasted some of the baked goods, and I even bought a new Fuck Zionism badge. Obviously all proceeds were going directly to the fundraiser.

As I was editing the photos, I got very conscious of the fact that there were children in them, so, where I thought it necessary, I've done my best to blur their faces.

I couldn't help feel, as I stuffed my face with food and watched kids running around laughing and adults flying their children's kites, just how incredibly fucked up this all is. The fact that that fundraising events like this have to take place to try purchase aid for Palestine, that, depending on which side of the bed Netanyahu gets out of, may or may not reach those in Palestine that need it. Currently, as we all know, he is quite happy to watch them starve to death.

As I said elsewhere, it doesn't take a lot to save a life. All you need is the will and compassion to do it. Unfortunately, those serving in the IDF and the Israeli Govt. appear to be completely lacking in the will and the compassion to do this. They lack the simple human decency and moral courage to save lives.

I believe that over €4000 was raised on the day, so congratulations to people from Mothers Against Genocide on raising much needed funds and for always keeping Palestine in the news.