At least 2 arrested as protesters throw objects at Joe Biden in Dublin

Pro-Palestinian protesters confronted former US president Joe Biden outside Trinity College Dublin on November 10, 2026, chanting accusations over the war in Gaza and hurling objects toward him as he left the campus. The Times of Israel reported that at least two people were arrested, citing the Irish broadcaster RTE, and that video of the scene shows police restraining several demonstrators while milk and other items were thrown in Biden's direction.

Biden was in the Irish capital for a ceremony honouring his son, Hunter Biden. The Hebrew news channel News.co.il said Hunter Biden received a gold medal at the event, and that the demonstrators threw objects and drink cans at the convoy of vehicles carrying the former president away from the university. A social media post embedded by The Times of Israel said Jill Biden, the former first lady, was leaving the college with her husband when the objects were thrown.

What the protesters chanted and threw

The accounts agree on the broad outline but differ in detail. According to The Times of Israel, the crowd repeatedly chanted "blood, blood, blood on your hands". News.co.il reported other slogans, including "Genocide Joe" and "shame", aimed at Biden over his record on the conflict.

On what was thrown, The Times of Israel mentioned milk among the objects seen in the video. News.co.il described drink cans. Abu Ali Express, a Hebrew-language Telegram channel, said the items were probably beverage containers and added that laser pointers were directed at Biden and his wife. That last detail appears only in the Abu Ali Express report and has not been described by the other outlets.

None of the reports said that Biden, his wife or anyone else was struck or injured.

The arrests

The number of arrests is given as at least two in the RTE figure relayed by The Times of Israel. News.co.il reported that two people it described as rioters were detained. The arrests were carried out by the Gardaí, the name commonly used for members of An Garda Síochána, Ireland's national police service. No charges, names or details of what the detained people are alleged to have done have been reported.

Why Biden draws protests over Gaza

Biden was in office when the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza began, and his administration backed Israel with military and diplomatic support during his term. That record has made him a frequent target of pro-Palestinian activists, who accuse him of complicity in the deaths of Palestinian civilians. Israel and its supporters reject the genocide accusation that the Dublin protesters directed at him.

The Times of Israel described the demonstrators as both pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel. Abu Ali Express, a channel with a strongly pro-Israel editorial voice, called them pro-Palestinian anarchists. That characterisation is the channel's own, and the other reports did not use it. Abu Ali Express also described Biden as suffering from advanced cancer; the other two reports did not address his health.

Dublin and Trinity College

Trinity College Dublin is a university in the centre of the Irish capital. Biden has long spoken publicly about his Irish ancestry, and visits to Ireland have featured throughout his political career. Ireland's public debate over the Gaza war has been intense, and pro-Palestinian demonstrations have been a regular feature in Dublin, which helps explain why a ceremony for the Biden family drew a crowd of protesters.

RTE, the source of the arrest figure, is Ireland's national public service broadcaster.

What the reports do not say

The reports do not say whether anyone has been charged, what offences the arrested people are suspected of, or how many protesters took part. There has been no reported response from Biden, his family, Trinity College or the Irish police, and the use of laser pointers rests on a single source.