Trinity students 'not moving' as Gaza protest continues
Around 200 members of the public gathered at the front of Trinity College in Dublin, where students are protesting over the war in Gaza.
The college is now closed to the public since members of the Students Union (TCDSU)and Trinity Boycott Divestment and Sanctions set up an encampment in the campus on Friday.
Around 100 students are involved in the protest and are calling for the college to “cut ties with Israel”.
The students have pitched tents inside and have blocked the entrance to the Book of Kells.
On Sunday afternoon, students sang out the front windows of the college to passers-by, and draped banners in support of Gaza out the windows.
They shouted, “Palestine will be free” and “Free free Palestine” while others chanted, “the students united will never be defeated”.
From another window, a group of students sang their version of the Irish ballad “Grace”.
TCDSU president László Molnárfi said they are “not moving” until the college commits to “cutting ties with Israel”.
“We have over 100 students and staff involved in this protest and over 70 tents pitched on campus now, and we also have blocked the book of Kells indefinitely and have set up barricades” he said.
“There is a strong community in there and we are having board game nights, food, and political discussions.
Currently Trinity College has multiple ties to Israeli companies and Israeli academic institutions that are complicit in the war industry, they produce military technology, weapons, bombs, and propaganda, and the social legitimacy in general that Israel uses to sustain and continue its genocide in Gaza as well as the suppression of the Palestinian people which has been ongoing since 75 years.
“We are also demanding that Trinity College makes a strong statement announcing their denouncement of the genocide and denouncing the apartheid. We are demanding that Trinity college show their support to Palestinian scholars.
“The college has been largely silent on this. Before we set up our encampment on Friday the college invited some of us to a meeting when they anticipated that this would happen.
“They gave a stronger statement, but it did not match what we are calling for and language is important. They also committed to looking into the three UN blacklisted firms.
“Trinity College on Saturday locked access to bathrooms and other facilities. Today following pressure, they reopened the libraries; this is a huge health and safety issue.
“But they reopened them. However, we are lacking access to prayer rooms, and we have Muslim students, and this is a huge issue. We have no plans to leave this encampment until our demands are met, and you can see the support we are getting”.
The students have pitched tents inside and have blocked the entrance to the Book of Kells. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA
The students have pitched tents inside and have blocked the entrance to the Book of Kells. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA
In a statement on Saturday, a spokesperson for Trinity College said while it supported the right of students to protest, they must be done within the rules of the institution.
The spokesperson also confirmed that “prayer rooms in Goldsmith Hall and the Arts Building are closed currently, but the GMB can be used”.
Toilet facilities are available at GMB and House 6.
“Trinity respects the strong stance expressed by the people participating in the encampment protest and blockade, and we support the right to peaceful protest,” it said
“There are also, however, many good reasons why the university’s policies, including health and safety, dignity and respect must be followed when doing so.
Our duty of care to students and staff is paramount. In order to ensure we can deliver on that duty of care for our students, we are ensuring that those protesting on campus are members of the college community, so access to campus has been restricted to students and staff with valid college ID cards only. We have not made this decision lightly.
The university added: “Trinity shares concerns about the ferocious onslaught in Gaza and the ongoing dire humanitarian crisis. We have taken a number of practical steps in response to the war in Gaza. These range from updating our investment portfolio with a view to excluding UN blacklist companies, to providing supports for students from Gaza coming to study in Trinity.
“Trinity is always open to engaging with staff and students on these issues: in the past week alone, the provost has met with Academics for Palestine and also with the Students’ Union president and Students’ Union officers to discuss these issues. We also continue to engage with our Jewish staff and students who are impacted.”
Trinity said it was responding to the war in Gaza in several ways, including the work to update its investment portfolio in line with a UN blacklist of companies.
In regard to ties with Israeli institutions, Trinity said it was for its academics to make their own decisions about what universities they collaborate with, insisting it would not impinge on that “cornerstone” of academic freedom.
Mr Molnárfi also claimed that the college has threatened some of the protestors with expulsion.
“We are a peaceful encampment, and they (the college) brought the entire campus into a lockdown. “We are staying indefinitely. It is inspiring to see so many students all over the world supporting Palestine and holding out in similar institutions.
“We have been threatened with disciplinary over this, it was a group effort, they are threatening us with expulsion.”
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