People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy has been detained in Egypt
TD Paul Murphy detained in Egypt
People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy has been detained in Egypt while attempting to take part in a peace march at the border crossing with Gaza.
Posting on his social media this Friday afternoon June 13, Deputy Murphy shared that the bus he was travelling on from Cairo to Rafah with other activists had been “stopped by the Egyptian authorities and our passports taken”.
The Tallaght TD flew to Cairo on Thursday, June 12, to take part in a Global March to Gaza with thousands of delegates from countries around the world, including up to 50 other Irish citizens.
“We’ve arrived at a location on the way to Rafah, unfortunately when we got here our passports were immediately confiscated by the army,” Deputy Murphy said in a video posted on his social media at around 2pm this Friday afternoon.
“They are telling us to get on a bus, but it is not clear where they will take us. We fear they intend to report us to stop us from marching to Gaza”.
“For the moment it’s not looking good,” he said.
We have had our passports confiscated and are being detained. It seems Egyptian authorities have decided to crack down on the #GreatMarchToGaza. We are refusing to board the deportation bus. pic.twitter.com/RlOBAlQFFh
— Paul Murphy 🇵🇸 (@paulmurphy_TD) June 13, 2025
He urged people to contact both the Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Harris and the Egyptian Ambassador to Ireland, and to pressure them “to do everything they can to allow us to peacefully march”.
People Before Profit released a statement saying that another Irish person and member of their party, Kellie McConnell, was also among those detained.
In a message shared by the party, she said that she was “on an armed bus. No windows. They will take us to the airport.”
PBP National Secretary Matt Collins has called on the Government to demand Egyptian authorities release Mr Murphy and the others who have been detained.
“They are on a peaceful march to demand that humanitarian aid is delivered to starving people in Gaza. There is no reason for them to be detained.
“We also call on the public to contact the Egyptian embassy to demand that people on the Global March to Gaza are allowed to travel unhindered.”
