UCDSU and UCD BDS led protestors inside the Tierney Building to denounce the university and Prof. Orla Feely’s “cowardly” position amid Israel’s war on Gaza.
UCDSU and UCD BDS led protestors inside the Tierney Building to denounce the university and Prof. Orla Feely’s “cowardly” position amid Israel’s war on Gaza.
The congregation gathered accross the James Joyce Library near the Main Lake and heard several speakers from the UCD Students’ Union and UCD Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions. The crowd then slowly made its’ way to the Tierney Building before they were stopped by building security. UCDSU President Martha Ní Riada and a representative of UCD BDS were able to enter the building by the main door as it was being held open by protestors including Welfare candidate Jacob Miller. Protestors were able to enter the Tierney building through the tunnel that connects it to the Newman building.
In her address to the crowd, Martha Nì Riada promised that actions on campus would escalate until they reached the desired effect: for President Orla Feely to call for an immediate ceasefire, to cut ties with all Israeli institutions and to open further pathways for Palestinian students to receive education in UCD.
Speaking to The University Observer, UCDSU President Martha Ní Riada said: “We still haven’t gotten a statement from Orla Feely calling for a ceasefire and top ut the institutional ties. We occupied the building to let her know we’re not going to stop until we get something more.” She continued on to say, “We’re not asking for anything radical, we’re just asking that she calls for a ceasefire and that she takes into account the fighting and the bloodshed”.
Addressing the crowd at the top of the second flight of stairs of the Tierney Building, Campaigns and Engagements Officer Miranda Bauer said: “We’re here today because we have a very basic set of rules for Orla Feely: to stop supporting genocide.” She vowed that actions would continue on campus because all statements from the President thus far have been “disappointing”.