{"id":50752,"date":"2025-03-14T11:53:35","date_gmt":"2025-03-14T11:53:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kede.com.br\/news\/protest-disrupts-st-patricks-event-in-washington-dc\/"},"modified":"2025-03-14T11:53:36","modified_gmt":"2025-03-14T11:53:36","slug":"protest-disrupts-st-patricks-event-in-washington-dc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kede.com.br\/news\/protest-disrupts-st-patricks-event-in-washington-dc\/","title":{"rendered":"Protest disrupts St. Patrick’s event in Washington DC"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Raymona Crozier<\/span><\/p>\n

BBC News NI<\/span><\/p>\n

Reporting from<\/svg>Washington DC<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Isaac Burke, brother of Enoch Burke was forcibly removed from the National Building Museum on Thursday evening<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
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A St Patrick’s Day event involving the Taoiseach (Irish PM) has been disrupted by members of a high-profile evangelical Christian family from the Republic of Ireland.<\/p>\n

Relatives of Enoch Burke were forcibly removed from the evening gala in Washington DC after heckling speeches.<\/p>\n

Mr Burke is a teacher from County Mayo who has been in a long-running court <\/a>battle after he refused to use the pronouns preferred by a student transitioning to a different gender.<\/p>\n

It is not clear how Burke’s mother and two of his siblings entered the private gala without tickets, but the family arrived shortly after Miche\u00e1l Martin gave his speech at the event.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Enoch Burke’s sister, mother and brother speaking with media after they were removed from the Ireland Funds Gala in Washington D.C.<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
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Mr Burke has been repeatedly jailed for defying court orders to stay away from his former workplace, Wilson’s Hospital School in County Westmeath.<\/p>\n

He was first suspended from the school in August 2022 after a public confrontation with its principal over how he should address a transgender student.<\/p>\n

The school sought a court injunction to keep him out of its grounds during his suspension and he was eventually sacked for gross misconduct.<\/p>\n

Mr Burke challenged his suspension and dismissal and continued to turn up to the school, despite facing large daily fines every time he breached the court order. <\/p>\n

Members of his family have been involved in several protests inside and outside Irish courts, arguing that he is being persecuted for his religious beliefs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

US trade tariffs<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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The Ireland Funds Gala continued after the Burkes were removed from the event. <\/p>\n

This year’s gala was held against the backdrop of a looming tariff war between the US and EU.<\/p>\n

Miche\u00e1l Martin used his speech to press the importance of the “two-way street” of US-Irish investment.<\/p>\n

He said that “Ireland and the US have a significant and mutually beneficial economic relationship”.<\/p>\n

US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose 200% tariffs on alcohol from the European Union countries. <\/a>It is in retaliation against the EU bloc’s planned levies on US-produced whiskey.<\/p>\n

In response, the taoiseach said the only way to resolve a deepening trade dispute between the US and EU is “through dialogue”.<\/p>\n

“Ireland has grown to be in the top ten as a source of foreign direct investment into the US, supporting the jobs of hundreds of thousands of people across the US. These extraordinary numbers illustrate the importance of a positive transatlantic trading relationship,” he added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

‘Significant opportunity’ for NI businesses<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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