Ireland rugby icon’s speech interrupted by protesters shouting ‘shame on you’ over links to Israeli military

Brian O’Driscoll was speaking at the Cyber Leader Summit in Dublin when he was interrupted by pro-Palestine activists who were shouting ‘shame on you’

Pro-Palestine activists caused a stir during a speech by ex-rugby star Brian O’Driscoll in Dublin on Thursday. Ireland rugby icon O’Driscoll was delivering a keynote address at the Cyber Leader Summit held at the Westbury hotel in the city, an event orchestrated by Check Point, a cybersecurity firm with branches in Tel Aviv and California.

Certain executives of the company have ties to the Israeli military, the IDF, and it’s this connection that drew the attention of the activists. “It is absolutely terrible to see Brian O’Driscoll speak at an event hosted by an Israeli cyber sec company, Check Point, today. Check Point Software Tech is closely linked with the Israeli military and security services,” said the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC).

According to the Check Point conference description, O’Driscoll was there to “draw powerful parallels between the world of elite rugby and cyber defence – showing how teamwork, resilience and strategy are just as critical on the digital frontlines as they are on the pitch”.

However, his speech was abruptly interrupted by protesters, with one reportedly shouting: “Shame on you, what are you doing here? … Shame on you, Brian.”

It’s reported that the protesters were swiftly escorted out before the event resumed. The protest is believed to have been organised by Your Tech Their Deaths, a group advocating for tech companies to cease providing services to the Israeli military.

Jude Farrell, founder of the group, told the Irish Times that the presence of a company linked to the IDF speaking in Dublin should “strike fear into everyone that values Ireland’s neutrality”.

A spokesperson for Check Point confirmed the event “went ahead as planned”.

A spokesman stated that gardaí responded “to a public order incident outside a premises near Grafton Street, Dublin 2 at approximately 3:30pm” on Thursday afternoon.

“Those involved dispersed peacefully. No arrests have been reported.”