Former President Joe Biden was pelted with debris by pro-Gaza protesters in Ireland this week as he attended a ceremony at Trinity College Dublin.
Videos of the protests showed demonstrators throwing objects at Biden as he got into his car. Secret Service agents could be seen attempting to block the items — including milk — with their umbrellas as police officers detained protesters.
President Joe Biden signs the “Recruit and Retain Act” aimed to improve grants for police hiring purposes, Friday, May 24, 2024, in the Oval Office. (Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz)
Other protesters waved Palestinian flags, chanting, “Blood on your hands!” “Shame on you!” and “Genocide Joe!”
Two protesters were arrested during the incident — a man in his 30s and a man in his 50s, according to the Jerusalem Post, which spoke to Irish police.
The Former President Was Attending an Award Ceremony For His Son Hunter
Biden was visiting Trinity College Dublin to attend a ceremony in honor of his son Hunter Biden on Tuesday.
Former First Lady Jill Biden was also in attendance.
During the ceremony — which saw Hunter Biden receive a Gold Medal for Outstanding Contribution to Public Discourse — the former president’s son spoke about his history of addiction and declared that the world was experiencing “an age of bullies.”
Previous recipients of the award have included WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, musicians Patti Smith and Bob Geldof, and South African Bishop Desmond Tutu.
Students’ Union Accuses Biden of Playing ‘Role in the Genocide of the Palestinian People’
Amy Kennedy, the president of Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union, took part in the demonstrations and accused Biden of having “killed students across the globe.”
The Students’ Union also criticized the police for detaining several protesters, insisting that the demonstrations had been “peaceful.”
“Joe Biden’s role in the genocide of the Palestinian people is well documented,” the union claimed.
In a statement to the University Times, Trinity College Dublin confirmed that “a protest took place in Trinity’s Front Square on Tuesday 10 November during a ceremony in the Exam Hall at which Hunter Biden was presented with a Gold Medal by the History debating society.”
“The protest escalated while the Bidens were leaving,” the college continued, adding that the “Biden family left without incident” and that “the protest dispersed soon after.”
During His Trip, Biden Also Met With Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin
During his trip to Ireland, Biden — who is of Irish heritage — also met with Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin.
“Very pleased to welcome former US President [Joe Biden] and his family to Dublin,” wrote Martin in a social media post. “We reflected on his strong Irish roots and previous visits, appreciating his lifelong support for Ireland.”
Biden has made several trips to Ireland in the past, and in 2023 he told the Irish parliament that he was “home.”
Biden Has Received Heavy Criticism Over His Handling of Israel’s War in Gaza
Biden received heavy criticism during his administration for refusing to use the powers of the White House to stop or curb Israel’s war in Gaza.
In 2024, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Biden for his support during the war, describing the president as “a proud Irish-American Zionist.” That same year, Biden administration appointee Lily Greenberg Call resigned from her position in protest over the president’s “continued support for Israel’s genocide in Gaza.”
Israel Merkava Tank. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
An Israeli Defense Forces Merkava Mark 4 tank fire 120mm canon shell
amazing action military photography 2022 2008(c)-Nehemia Gershuni Photograpy
During a meeting with Muslim Americans in 2023, Biden privately apologized for dismissing the death toll of civilians in Gaza, telling attendees he was “disappointed in myself.” Following her defeat in the 2024 presidential election, Biden’s former vice president Kamala Harris claimed in a book that she had “pleaded” with the president to “extend the same empathy” to Palestinians as he did to Ukrainians, describing his response to Israel’s war as “inadequate.”
“He’ll be remembered for the hundreds of thousands killed, injured and displaced in Gaza,” declared the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee in 2024. “There is no way around it. ‘Genocide Joe’ is what he’s going to be remembered as.”
Progressive media outlet The Nation made similar claims this year, publishing an article titled, “How Joe Biden Helped Cause a Genocide in Gaza.”
Biden has rejected claims that Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza is a genocide. “We reject that,” he said.
About the Author: Charlie Nash
Charlie Nash is a journalist and author whose work has appeared in The Spectator, Mediaite, New Statesman, and the American Conservative, among other major publications. His reporting has been featured by The Washington Post, Fox News, the Daily Beast, MS NOW, NewsNation, Hannity, and more. You can follow Charlie on X at @CharlieNash and on LinkedIn.
