Comhlamh Justice for Palestine (CJ4P) is a Comhlamh voluntary members group dedicated to achieving justice for the Palestinian people and taking a stand against Israel’s brutal apartheid, colonisation, occupation, and genocide. Our mission is to raise awareness and act in solidarity with other groups on the past and ongoing injustices faced by Palestinians.
As part of their ongoing mission, CJ4P staged the production of a play entitled “Prisoners of the Occupation” for three nights from 20-22 May 2025 at the Smock Alley Theatre in Dublin. The play attracted 496 attendees over three sold-out nights.
This thought-provoking piece of political theatre was written by Einat Weizman, in conjunction with Palestinian political prisoners. The play is the result of a lengthy research process that involved interviewing and hearing testimonies from prisoners and ex-prisoners, who were actively involved in every stage of this production. The play reveals a harrowing and brutal reality but also an account of human endurance and solidarity.
The prisoners and family members in the play were cast from Palestinian actors living in Ireland, and all involved in the production received professional compensation for their work. Certain members of the production team did not charge for their services, and some partially waived their fees. The production was directed by Martin Maguire and produced by Diarmuid O’Brien, on behalf of CJ4P, with funding secured through individual donations, enhanced by corporate support and additional backing from Comhlámh, AFRI, ICTU, and the IPSC.
The Gala night on Wednesday, 21 May, featured guest speakers Francis Black and Diarmuid O’Brien, who spoke about the Irish experience of imprisonment, forced displacement, massacres, and occupation during the Cromwellian period of Irish history. The play resonated and evoked memories of the past hunger strikes of political prisoners in Northern Ireland and during the Irish War of Independence.
The play received a highly positive reception, and all parties involved have expressed interest in pursuing a tour, contingent upon securing the necessary funding. Several theatres are already interested in staging the play. If you know someone personally or a business who might be interested in sponsoring a tour, please email CJ4P at Justice4pal@comhlamh.org
Comhlamh Justice for Palestine