Blanket made to represent children killed in Gaza coming to Leitrim town this weekend

The 55 metre long, 1.6m wide blanket was unveiled and has been held by members of Craftivism for Palestine and others in 21 counties across Ireland for viewing by the passing public.

The blanket is the result of of months of hard work by Craftivism for Palestine's founders Anna Doyle and Niamh Bonner who came up with the idea of a visual interpretation of the high number of Palestinian children who have been killed during the conflict in Gaza since October 2023. The aim of the campaign is to highlight the Government's inaction on the Occupied Territories bill.

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The blanket consists of 2,700 6 inch intricate granny squares with each square representing 10 murdered children in Gaza.

A statement to the Leitrim Observer said: "Anna wrote to all the libraries and craft groups around the country (32 counties) and asked them to send squares. Groups that sent squares include those with intellectual disabilities, mental health issues and those in residential care, allowing their voice which would otherwise go unheard, to be represented in vigils and protests. We got squares posted to us through advertising on social media and from other countries, such Venezuela, Canada, Pakistan, Greece, Germany and England. After a couple of weeks we organised to meet up to join the squares. Initially we met once a week but soon realised we needed to meet more often. A core group of 10 crafters met in the Beckett Locke Hotel in Dublin's North Wall Avenue. We met approx 15 times in total over 5 weeks to join the squares because we had given ourselves a deadline to complete, of one week before Dáil summer recess."

The core group of crafters who joined the squares ranged in age from their 50s to their mid-80s.

Estimating an hour per square and every 100 squares taking about 100 hours to join, the group spent approximately 7200 hours putting the blanket together.

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The blanket not only represents the lives lost but also reflects the resilience of the people of Palestine. 

The statement said: "The collective rage of the crafters at the lack of government action to enact the Occupied Territories Bill echoes in every stitch. This blanket is travelling the nation to highlight the demand by the public on the Irish Government to enact the Occupied Territories bill in it's entirety."