Trinity College Dublin protesters to remain ‘indefinite’ until Israel’s demands are met – The Irish Times

Students camped on the grounds of Trinity College Dublin (TCD) protesting the university’s ties to Israel will remain “indefinitely, until our demands are met”, a spokesperson for the group said.

The outgoing president of the TCD student union, László Molnárfi, said protesters want Trinity to begin “the process of full divestment from Israel where appropriate,” including severing relations with Israeli universities on joint research projects.

The camp, which closed the Book of Kells to visitors this weekend, continued to grow on Saturday.

About 50 tents went up in Fellow’s Square on Saturday morning, as more than 70 students gathered in the center of the camp for a meeting. As the meeting continued, more protesters arrived with tents and camping equipment.

The camp, which follows similar demonstrations on university campuses across the United States, is led by Trinity College Dublin Student’s Union (TCDSU) and Trinity College Dublin Boycott, Divest Sanction (TCD BDS).

TCD has restricted public access to its campus after students set up a camp to protest Israel’s war on Gaza and the university’s ties to Israel. Video: Fiachra Gallagher

Speaking to RTÉ Radio on Saturday, Molnárfi criticized TCD’s decision in recent days to fine TCDSU €214,000 for financial losses suffered by disruptive protests throughout the year. He described it as a “clear attempt to suppress student voice.”

When asked how long the current protest would last, Molnárfi responded “indefinitely, until our demands are met” and said “we will resist if they try to displace us or stop the blockade.”

Protesters have made a number of demands of Trinity. In a social media post, TCD BDS called on the university to sever “all ties with Israeli institutions, organizations and investments.”

Protesters have also called on Trinity to make “an unequivocal statement of solidarity condemning the ongoing genocide, destruction of infrastructure, colonialism, apartheid and the occupation of Palestine.”

Additionally, they have called on Trinity to “fully support” 100 Palestinian academics in their studies at the university and “reparations” for their alleged complicity in Israel’s destruction of Gaza.

In support of their claims about Trinity’s ties to Israeli organizations, protesters cited work done by TCD researchers alongside academics from Israeli universities on medical, pharmaceutical and other scientific projects funded by the European Union.

In a statement on Friday, TCD said it supported students’ right to protest, but stated that protests “must be carried out within the university’s rules.”

The university also said it had responded to the war in Gaza in several ways, referencing a May 1 statement posted on Chancellor Linda Doyle’s website.

“I abhor and condemn all violence and war, including the atrocities of October 7 and the continued, ferocious and disproportionate attack on Gaza. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the dehumanization of its people is obscene,” Doyle said. The statement also outlined Trinity’s views on academic freedom and how she is reviewing her investment portfolio.

Hundreds of Trinity staff and postgraduates previously signed a call for the university’s chancellor to carry out a review of links with Israeli institutions.

In a statement, the university said it has an endowment fund that is not managed by the university, but by investment managers. Its company selection is guided by the United Nations Global Compact Violators List, the United Nations Level 5 Controversies List, and the company’s ESG (environmental, social and governance) performance. “In recent months we have continued working and, as a result, the portfolio will be updated with reference to the UN blacklist,” he added.

On Saturday, Molnárfi said there were many Israeli companies that were not on the UN blacklist in the endowment fund, and that there were also academic ties that should be severed.

In its statement on Friday, TCD also said the university had an “obligation” to protect the Book of Kells.

“As stewards of the Old Library, Trinity has a duty to protect the building and the Long Room. The closure of the Old Library impacts researchers, whether students, staff or visiting international researchers. “It also affects the staff who work there, many of whom are students,” a spokeswoman said.

On Saturday morning, many of the protesters wore traditional Palestinian keffiyehs, while tents were draped with Palestinian flags and Irish tricolors.

The camp is located next to the Old Library, which houses the Book of Kells, a major source of income for the university. The entrance to the Old Library was closed on Saturday morning, after students stacked wooden benches in front of the door to block the entrance.

Banners in front of the Old Library, placed there by protesters overnight, carried slogans such as: “Boycott apartheid Israel,” “Trinity finances genocide,” and “Trinity is complicit in genocide.”

In the center of the camp, a gazebo covered a bench filled with food supplies. A Garda watched the protesters from a distance on Saturday morning.

Access to the campus was restricted Saturday, and Trinity security staff checked the ID cards of those seeking access at the Lincoln Place entrance. In a statement, the university said that, “to ensure safety, access to campus is restricted to students, staff, residents and members of the Athletic Department with university identification cards only.”

The university’s main gate, on College Green, was closed, as were the entrances on Pearse Street and Nassau Street. As a result, the campus was quiet on Saturday.

In a statement published on Friday in majority of students and staff.”

A message on the university’s booking platform for the Book of Kells Experience said it would be closed on Saturday, May 4 “due to circumstances beyond our control.”

The university said the closure of the Old Library will affect researchers “whether students, staff or visiting international researchers. “It also affects the staff who work there, many of whom are students.”

( Strikes, protests and sit-ins: how the Gaza conflict is causing tensions at Irish universities )

Earlier on Friday, TCD management defended its decision to fine the university’s student union €214,000 for financial losses suffered by disruptive protests throughout the year.

The union and protest groups have been involved in blocking access to the Book of Kells in protest over issues such as fee increases and the university’s stance on Gaza on several occasions since last September.

The move has drawn criticism from students, academics and some politicians who described the move as an attempt to suppress the student protest.

In a statement, Trinity College Dublin said it was a not-for-profit organization that could not survive solely on government funding and is dependent on other sources of income.

Jeffrey Sardina of TCD’s PWO (Graduate Workers Organization) said he was warned that he will not be allowed to graduate if he or the union does not pay the fine.

Mr. Sardina has been summoned to a meeting with TCD’s junior dean to explain his and other students’ actions in blocking access to the Book of Kells at the university.

The letter states that unless the fine is paid, the sum of money could become a “debt to the university that must be paid as a prerequisite for graduation.”