Cartons of milk thrown at Joe Biden by students in Ireland

| Senior science and technology reporter Published November 10, 2026 11:09pm Updated November 10, 2026 11:10pm The former US president met students during a visit to the College Historical Society in Dublin (Picture: Niall Carson/Press Association) At least two people have been arrested after students lobbed cartons of milk at Joe Biden in Ireland this afternoon. Biden made a surprise appearance at Trinity College Dublin as his son Hunter was awarded a top award by the university’s historical society. Students began protesting in the 1937 Reading Room over the former US president’s role in the Gaza war before going outside, according to The University Times student newspaper. As Biden and his family left the venue, protesters began chanting, ‘genocide Joe,’ and throwing milk and other objects at him. Objects were thrown as former US President Joe Biden and Jill Biden left Trinity College Dublin today.Pro-Palestinian protesters had gathered outside, and Gardaí arrested at least two people. pic.twitter.com/GxS2NuHUlj— Clash Report (@clashreport) November 10, 2026 Gardaí, the Irish police force, arrested two people. Footage shared on social media showed a garda using a baton. Sign up for all of the latest stories Start your day informed with Metro's News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens. Harper Alderson, editor of Trinity’s University Times, told Irish broadcaster RTÉ that officers used pepper spray. ‘The protest grew very large as the cars were moving through the front square of the college,’ she added. The Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union and the Aontas na Mac Léinn in Éirinn, the Irish student union, criticised Biden’s invitation to the university. In a joint Instagram post, the unions said they were ‘appalled’ by the police response to a ‘peaceful protest’ and urged the university to investigate. Protesters gathered outside the university (Picture: Niall Carson/Press Association) At least two people were arrested (Picture: Niall Carson/Press Association) ‘Students have every right to protest [Biden’s] visit, challenge those in positions of power and demonstrate their solidarity with the Palestinian people,’ they added. Hunter was awarded the Gold Medal for Outstanding Contribution for Public Discourse by the College Historical Society, often called the Hist. Ahead of the ceremony, the Hist said: ‘To a society like the Hist, Biden’s recent advocacy on the state of American politics and media as well as for matters of addiction and recovery make him a commendable figure to receive the award.’ Hunter told the event that he was ‘honoured’ to receive the medal. ‘To be able to come back to Ireland and be with my whole family, it means the world,’ he said, adding that it was ‘good’ his father could join. The former US president and his family also met with the Taoiseach, the Irish prime minister, Micheál Martin. Very pleased to welcome former US President @JoeBiden and his family to Dublin.We reflected on his strong Irish roots and previous visits, appreciating his lifelong support for Ireland. pic.twitter.com/aol5ikpih5— Micheál Martin (@MichealMartinTD) November 10, 2026 Speaking later at Tallaght Stadium in Dublin, Martin thanked Biden for his support for Ireland. ‘In the early years, he was a great supporter of the peace process, and then later he was a really strong supporter of Ireland in the context of Brexit,’ he added. Israel has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians since October 7, 2022, including 1,500 people since the cease-fire, according to Gazan officials. A UN human rights panel accused Israel of committing genocidal acts in the coastal strip despite the pause in fighting last month; Israel denied this. An Garda Síochána has been approached for comment. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. For more stories like this, check our news page. Arrow MORE: Trump left Biden an oddly polite and poetic letter after losing to him in 2020 Arrow MORE: Seven teenagers and woman injured after car mounts footpath outside Dublin shop Arrow MORE: 5 of the most unique road trips in the UK and Ireland News Updates Stay on top of the headlines with daily email updates.