ACTIVISM became ‘craftivism’ in Limerick this past weekend as a 50-metre long ‘granny square’ blanket for Palestine was unravelled in the city centre.
The hand-crocheted blanket consists of 2,600 six-inch intricate squares, donated from all across Ireland and overseas, with each square representing 10 children killed in Gaza.
The squares, symbolising the safety and life lost by Palestinian children, came from Canada, Germany, Greece, Pakistan, Venezuela and the UK, and were stitched together as part of a visual demonstration piece at the weekend.
Squares added to the blanket from all across Ireland were made in local libraries and by people with limited mobility as a way of expressing solidarity with Palestinian people, organisers of the event said.
The event, held in Howley’s Quay on Sunday, also called for the Irish government to enact the Occupied Territories Bill and to impose sanctions on Israel.
“The blanket was unveiled and has been held by members of Craftivisim for Palestine and others in 20 counties across Ireland for viewing by the passing public,” said Zoe Lawlor, chairperson of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
“The blanket is the result of months of hard work by Craftivisim for Palestine’s founders Anna Doyle and Niamh Bonner, who came up with the idea of a visual interpretation of the huge death toll of Palestinian children in Gaza since October 2023,” she added.
At least one Palestinian child has been killed every hour on average by Israeli forces in Gaza over nearly 23 months of war, with the number of children killed now surpassing 20,000, Save the Children said.
Latest figures from Gaza show at least 20,000 children – about two per cent of Gaza’s child population – have been killed since October 2023.
