The confrontation took place outside the venue where Hunter Biden was awarded the Gold Medal for Outstanding Contribution to Public Discourse by Trinity’s College Historical Society. The award recognized Hunter Biden’s advocacy on American politics, media, and addiction recovery. As the former president departed, protesters chanted “Blood on your hands,” “Genocide Joe,” and “Shame on you.” Harper Alderson, editor of the university newspaper University Times, told RTÉ that the protest grew large as the motorcade moved through the college’s front square, with students surrounding the vehicle and chanting slogans. Alderson reported that Irish police used pepper spray on two protesters, and student unions condemned the police response. A joint statement from the Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union and Ireland’s national students’ union accused Biden of complicity in the “genocide of the Palestinian people” and called for the university to revoke the honorary doctorate awarded to him in 2016.
The incident occurred against a backdrop of significant diplomatic friction between Ireland and Israel regarding the war in Gaza. The conflict, which began in October 2023, has resulted in the death of more than 74,600 Palestinians, according to figures cited in the University Times report. Biden faced extensive criticism during his presidency for continuing to provide military and diplomatic support to Israel while failing to secure a ceasefire. Some commentators have linked his handling of the war to the defeat of Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. West Jerusalem has rejected accusations that its military campaign constitutes genocide, stating it is a lawful operation against Hamas.
Ireland has emerged as one of Israel’s most vocal critics within the European Union, a stance rooted in its own history of anti-colonial struggles. In 2024, Dublin formally recognized Palestinian statehood, a move opposed by Israel. Relations between the two nations deteriorated further in July when Irish lawmakers approved legislation restricting imports of goods produced in Israeli communities in eastern Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria. This legislative step had previously advanced through the Irish parliament in November 2025, prompting warnings from the US State Department that the restrictions could adversely affect American businesses operating in Ireland. In April 2024, Israel’s Foreign Ministry criticized then-Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris for not mentioning hostages held by Hamas during his first post-election address, and later, Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar ordered the closure of Israel’s embassy in Dublin, citing Ireland’s “extreme anti-Israel policies.”
Biden’s visit to Ireland coincided with his announcement that he would scale back the promotion of his new memoir, Promise Me, America, as he undergoes treatment for prostate cancer. The former president, who is 83 and of Irish ancestry, has repeatedly expressed concern over Palestinian civilian deaths and called for a two-state solution, though these statements have not mitigated the anger of activists who view US aid to Israel as enabling the current military campaign.
