GAA Congress disrupted by anti-Allianz protest

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The GAA's annual congress at Croke Park was disrupted on Saturday by a protest calling for the association to cut ties with sponsor Allianz.

Proceedings were interrupted when several protesters gained access to a conference hall at the Gaelic Athletic Association's Dublin headquarters shortly before 13:00 GMT.

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Accompanied by drums, protesters chanted "Allianz Out!" and unfurled a banner behind the top table where several GAA officials, including president Jarlath Burns, were sitting.

Some people have called for the GAA to end its 30-year association with Allianz after a report from a UN special rapporteur last year claimed the German company has profited from Israeli forces being in Gaza.

After the protesters declined Burns' request for them to leave, the GAA president adjourned Congress for lunch before proceedings resumed shortly after 14:00 GMT, according to RTE.

The protesters had greeted Congress delegates when they arrived at Croke Park on Saturday morning.

In December, the GAA opted to continue its deal with Allianz following a recommendation from its ethics and integrity commission, despite a petition signed by 800 current high-profile players calling for an end to the relationship.

The GAA's deal with Allianz was not one of the 25 motions on the agenda on day two of Congress on Saturday.

Speaking on Friday evening, the GAA's director general Tom Ryan addressed the issue.

"I do think we need to bear in mind where our responsibilities begin and end as an organisation," said Ryan.

"We are motivated by the right things and we do want to do the right things and we are a force for good in communities and all that is really important.

"I know there are other issues in the world and they are actually more important issues than whether we play an All-Ireland final in August or July (one of the motions put forward to Congress), there are a lot more important things to be considered.

"But there are other organisations and other agencies society trusts in managing those issues. Those are the agencies with the expertise and the authority to take action in those areas, we don't."

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