TCDSU, students and staff members with TCD BDS have gathered on Fellow’s Square and set up an encampment to protest the college’s refusal to divest from Israeli institutions.
At 8:30pm today, Friday 3rd May, an encampment in solidarity with Palestine began on the Trinity College Dublin campus.
According to Trinity News, approximately sixty people are currently gathered on Fellows Square protesting the college’s refusal to divest from Israeli institutions. Amongst those participating in the encampment are Trinity student and staff members TCDSU, and the TCD chapter of the BDS movement. This is the first encampment to be organised on Irish soil.
Encampments in solidarity with Palestine have gained momentum since the first was set up at Columbia University in New York City on 17th April. Trinity shares a dual BA programme with Columbia University, and students on the programme have partaken in the action.
Amongst those participating in the encampment are Trinity student and staff members TCDSU, and the TCD chapter of the BDS movement. UCDSU and members of UCD BDS, too, are participating in the Trinity encampment. This is the first encampment to be organised on Irish soil.
In a social media post, TCD BDS shared what they demand from Trinity. Specifically, they ask the institution to sever all ongoing ties with Israeli institutions and release an unequivocal statement condemning the genocidal actions that are still ongoing in Gaza. TCD BDS also urges Trinity to commit to reparations, which include supporting “100 Palestinian scholars to undertake their studies at the College.”
Addressing the staff and students in attendance in front of the Book of Kells experience, TCDSU President Lázsló Molnárfi said: [The college] issued a 0.2 million fine to intimidate and silence us and to try to stop what is happening right now. But we will not give in”. He concluded off his statement by saying: “Our university is cowardly and we are not deterred by these “threats””.
The protestors gathered in front of the Book of Kells experience have begun a chant of “Free! Free! Palestine!”.
The Irish news outlet, Gript Media, published a post yesterday exposing the plans made by students and staff members of BDS groups to occupy Trinity campus and begin setting up an encampment. The outlet stated that it had seen “messages that indicate Trinity students and staff are planning a US-style occupation of the Book of Kells”.
In the hours leading up to the setting up of the encampment, The University Observer has been informed by a Trinity College Dublin student who has chosen to remain anonymous, that students who did not have a Trinity College Dublin student identification card were barred from campus grounds. Additionally, the Book of Kells experience has been closed until Monday and tickets are no longer accessible online.
Speaking to The University Observer ahead of the set up of the encampment, TCDSU President László Molnarfi said: “College senior management would do well to seriously consider why students and staff have been protesting for months at unprecedented levels. Students have decided that we stand on the side of justice, freedom, equality and liberation for all. College, on the other hand, has decided that it stands on the side of apartheid, racism, genocide and ethnic cleansing. It furthermore has decided that it stands on the side of silencing and sanctioning student protest.”
He then referenced the recent statement made by Trinity College Dublin Provost Linda Doyle about the crisis in Gaza: “In her most recent lacklustre statement, Linda Doyle claimed that she is losing sleep over her stance on Gaza. Senior management’s conscience cannot, and can never be, clear due to the stance that they have taken on genocide. While Linda Doyle cannot sleep in her mansion on her 200,000+ euro salary, children cannot sleep in Gaza because they are being bombed. College must, however belatedly, do what is right and cut all ties with the Israeli apartheid state.”
Speaking to The University Observer ahead of the set up of the encampment, TCDSU President László Molnarfi said: “College senior management would do well to seriously consider why students and staff have been protesting for months at unprecedented levels.
Across social media platforms, appeals are being made to help secure the encampment from this weekend on.
Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign has announced an emergency protest in support of the student encampment at Trinity College Dublin. The March is set to begin tomorrow at noon at the Spire and conclude at Fellows Square.
TCDSU President László Molnárfi has uploaded a picture of benches piled in front of the Book of Kells entrance on X and declared: "The Book of Kells is now closed indefinitely. No business as usual during a genocide. [Trinity College Dublin] cut ties with the genocidal state of Israel".
This is a developing story and will be updated in due course