Joe Biden Confronted by Protesters Throwing Objects Outside Hunter Biden Honor Ceremony in Dublin, Ireland

DUBLIN - Former U.S. President Joe Biden and members of his family were met by pro-Palestinian demonstrators who threw milk cartons and other objects and chanted hostile slogans as they left a ceremony at Trinity College Dublin on Tuesday evening.

Biden, accompanied by former First Lady Jill Biden, had attended the event in the college's Exam Hall, where their son Hunter received the Gold Medal for Outstanding Contribution to Public Discourse from the College Historical Society, one of the world's oldest student debating societies. Biden entered the hall unannounced and received applause from the audience when recognized; he sat in the front row for the presentation. The family's presence had not been publicly announced in advance.

As the Bidens departed, demonstrators outside waved Palestinian flags and chanted "Genocide Joe," "Blood on your hands," and "Shame on you." Video and witness accounts showed objects, including cartons of milk, thrown toward the group. Security personnel used umbrellas to shield Biden as he moved toward a waiting vehicle. Irish police (Gardaí) intervened as the situation escalated near the motorcade.

Gardaí arrested three men in connection with the public-order incident. One man in his 50s was later charged; the other two, one in his 30s and one in his late teens, were released without charge. University officials stated that the Biden family left without incident and that the protest dispersed afterward. Reports indicated that pepper spray may have been used on some demonstrators during the confrontation.

Student groups including the Student Neutrality Front and TCD Workers Party organized the demonstration, describing Biden as a "heinous mass-murderer" in connection with U.S. support for Israel during the Gaza conflict while he was in office. Ireland has long had vocal public support for the Palestinian cause, and similar campus protests have occurred in recent years.

During the same visit, Biden also met privately with Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin. Martin later described the meeting positively and noted Biden's longstanding support for Ireland, including during the Northern Ireland peace process and Brexit-related issues.

The incident occurred against the backdrop of Hunter Biden's 2024 U.S. convictions on gun and tax charges, which were later the subject of a presidential pardon while his father was still in office. Previous recipients of the Hist's gold medal have included former Irish President Michael D. Higgins, Bob Geldof, Patti Smith, and Desmond Tutu.

While disagreement over U.S. Middle East policy has been widespread and persistent, the decision to target a former president and his family with thrown objects during a private honor ceremony for his son drew criticism from those who viewed the action as an escalation beyond peaceful protest into disorderly conduct directed at a non-official family occasion. No injuries to the Biden family were reported.