Irishman McCorry is the latest from his country to use his platform to display pro-Palestinian support [Getty/file photo]
Irish MMA Fighter Paddy McCorry shouted “Free Palestine” in an act of solidarity with Gaza after he won a fight against an Israeli opponent on Saturday.
McCorry, 27, beat Israel’s Shuki Farage at Cage Warriors 189 event in Rome, Italy, with a unanimous decision. In videos shared online, McCorry appeared to be the much stronger opponent, hitting at Farage on multiple occasions.
Viral footage shared online showed the Irish fighter shouting the slogan in Farage’s faces he beats the former Israeli army soldier to the ground of the fighting cage, which encouraged spectators to shout “Free Palestine” as well.
The fighter also posted a clip of the video on his account on X, captioning it “Street justice” followed by the Irish and Palestinian flags.
Following the bout and McCorry’s victory, the fighter was draped with the Palestinian flag as the referee announced him as the winner. He also used the victory announcement to shout “Free Palestine” again.
McCorry’s show of Palestinian solidarity also reflects Ireland’s consistent sympathy with the Palestinian cause and its public statements denouncing Israel’s occupation and violence.
Last week, Ireland’s deputy prime minister Simon Harris stressed that his government stood by a statement saying that Israel is committing a genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza – becoming the first European nation to do so.
In May last year, amid Israel’s onslaught, Ireland recognised the state of Palestine along with a host of other European countries, including Spain.
More than 4,300 have been killed since Israel ramped up its airstrikes on Gaza since 18 March, with dozens killed every day. At least 54,418 have been killed since 7 October, 2023.
Elsewhere on Saturday, fans of French club Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday chanted pro-Palestinian slogans inside Munich’s Allianz Arena Stadium urging for an end to the genocide in Gaza during the Champions League final against Inter Milan.
