General News / November 8, 2023

Trinity Students Blockade Front Gates in Solidarity with Palestine

Photo Credits: Trinity News
General News / November 8, 2023

Trinity Students Blockade Front Gates in Solidarity with Palestine

Text: Izzy Copestake

The students also dropped the Palestinian flag above the College Green facing side of Regent’s House.

Earlier today, Trinity College Dublin BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanction Implementation Group), blockaded the front gates of Trinity College and flew the Palestinian flag above the Dublin landmark as a “mark of solidarity” with Palestine. The demonstration was supported by Trinity College Student’s Union who, earlier this year, orchestrated a blockade of the Book of Kells and achieved a rent freeze for all college affiliated student accommodations.

The protest aimed to show solidarity with the Palestinian people who, for the past three weeks, have faced ceaseless airstrikes from Israeli forces. There have been over 10,000 Palestinians killed by Israel, over 4,000 of the dead are children and the UN has called it a ‘children’s graveyard’ and described what is happening as ‘genocide’.

In a statement to District Magazine, Trinity’s Student’s Union President László Molnárfi stated, “Our College has ties with 13 Israeli organizations, amongst them those which are actively involved in the global arms trade. Every day, lives are lost, families are destroyed and oppression continues to reign because of the military-war industry – we must actively fight against it.”

“Furthermore, the cause of the Palestinian people is a cause for every global citizen. Israel continues to expand its illegal settlements, taking away Palestinian peoples’ lands using violence and committing genocide in Gaza leaving thousands dead. The number of settlers living in occupied Palestine has grown to more than half a million. Palestinian people cannot live in their own homeland.”

“We call upon Trinity College Dublin to take a principled stand against apartheid, settler-colonialism and the egregious violations of human rights that the Palestinian people suffer at the hands of the state of Israel every day, and to cut ties with Israel”

Elsewhere on District: Instagram Inserted ‘Terrorist’ Into Some Palestinian Users’ Bios