UCC Students' Union demands university 'take action' on Gaza genocide

University College Cork (UCC) Students’ Union has issued a public letter addressed to the university president, in the hopes that it will encourage the college to “take action” and break its silence on the genocide occurring in Gaza.

The letter, issued to UCC President John O’Halloran on Tuesday morning, asks the university to condemn the genocide in Gaza and call for a permanent ceasefire, while offering support to Palestinian students affected by the war.

The message also asked Mr O’Halloran to assess any potential “adverse impacts” on human rights with which they might be involved.

The letter comes in the wake of ongoing protests in Trinity College Dublin, which has now been 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.

“We stand with Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union as they fight against their university’s complicity in genocide,” a statement from UCC’s Student Union read.

In the letter, the union said the actions taken by the State of Israel has left the Palestinian people “in a state of poverty, terror and fatal vulnerability”.

They also addressed the efforts made to bring the president’s attention to the issue, including a number of rallies and student walk-outs. “We saw over 400 UCC staff and 1,000 students and alumni sign a letter demanding the university take action,” the letter read.

Among the ideas set out in the letter were the establishment of a Palestine Emergency Response Working Group within the college, to enable Palestinian students and academics to apply within the University of Sanctuary and Scholars at Risk schemes. Picture: Erin O’Riordan

Among the ideas set out in the letter were the establishment of a Palestine Emergency Response Working Group within the college, to enable Palestinian students and academics to apply within the University of Sanctuary and Scholars at Risk schemes. Picture: Erin O’Riordan

However, the student union say the actions have been “met with silence” on account of the university wishing to remain “politically neutral”.

“We believe that silence in the face of injustice is siding with the oppressor; thus, we call on UCC as a leading global changemaker to use its voice to call for an end to this injustice,” the letter included.

One of the asks included in the letter was a commitment from the college to not host or assist in the visits of government officials until the Government commits to putting sanctions on Israel. This includes photo opportunities, keynote speeches, ceremonies and awards, the letter read.

Among the ideas set out in the letter were the establishment of a Palestine Emergency Response Working Group within the college, to enable Palestinian students and academics to apply within the University of Sanctuary and Scholars at Risk schemes.

This in turn would encourage a commitment for UCC to fund Palestinian research and studies within the university and research centres.

The letter outlines if a satisfactory response is not received by close of business this Friday, “we will have no choice but to escalate to further action”.

Hayley O’Connell Vaughan, Communications & Engagement Officer in UCC Students’ Union, said the union is “not in a position to disclose what our ideas are in terms of an escalation”.

“We are giving the university these few days to reflect on student demands and to answer accordingly. We stand in unwavering support of TCDSU’s encampment and their protest against their university’s ties to Israel and welcome the news that broke yesterday regarding TCD’s commitment to reviewing these links,” they added.

“We are assessing the situation as it may progress and planning accordingly for each potential response. We urge UCC to use its voice to call for a ceasefire and to work with us to better the lives of those, particularly students, affected by this genocide,” they said.

The VP for Campaigns for the Union of Students in Ireland (USI), Zaid Albarghouthi, said; “The student body in Ireland is compelled by a sense of moral duty and solidarity to our brothers and sisters on the receiving end of Israel’s genocide and to those brave enough to stand up to the Biden Administration from their campuses”.

Mr Albarghouthi described the demands in the letter as “simple” and of a “humanitarian nature”, adding “we see no reason for them not to be acted upon, and we reject any arguments premised on a false framing of academic freedom”.

The Irish Examiner has contacted UCC for comment.

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