LAST UPDATE | 8 May
THE STUDENT ENCAMPMENT in Trinity College Dublin will come to an end after the Students Union and fellow protesters have accepted the terms by the college to divest from Israeli companies.
Trinity College is to divest itself from Israeli companies operated in Occupied Palestinian Territories by June, under a new agreement accepted by students and staff protesting the university’s ties to Israel.
The five-day camp-out protest on the grounds of the college blocked access to the Book of Kells, urged the institution to cut its ties with the country and to condemn the conflict in Gaza.
The college closed its campus to the public over the weekend, citing safety concerns.
In a statement this afternoon, Trinity said it will complete a divestment from “investments in Israeli companies that have activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and appear on the UN Blacklist in this regard”.
The process is expected to be completed by June, however one Israeli company will remain on its supplier list until March 2025 for contractual reasons.
The college will also be enlisting a taskforce, of which its first job is to complete the divestments, which will will operate within the formal structures of the college.
The taskforce process will also review Trinity’s student exchanges with Israel and issue recommendations to the relevant principal committees of the university, among a number of other tasks.
Students’ Union President, László Molnárfi today confirmed to The Journal that the group have accepted these terms and the encampment will conclude later this evening.
Trinity College also condemned the conflict and violence in Gaza as well as the atrocities of 7 October:
“We abhor and condemn all violence and war, including the atrocities of October 7th, the taking of hostages and the continuing ferocious and disproportionate onslaught in Gaza.
The university said the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the dehumanisation of its people is “obscene”.
A statement this evening from the college said that it supports the International Court of Justice’s position that Israel “must take all measures within its power to prevent and punish the direct and public incitement to commit genocide” in the region.
It added that there is a need for a “real and lasting solution” to be found for the conflict.
Speaking at the gates of the campus, where tourists and other members of the public were still being turned away, Molnárfi described the decision as “unprecedented and historic”.
“They’ve already divested a substantial amount,” the activist told The Journal.
“So they’ve done everything they could do in the short term, and long term the task force will be set up to look into the mechanisms of how we can cut all of our remaining ties.
“And it just shows the grassroots power of students and staff and hopefully this movement can spread worldwide, and each university cuts its ties.”
Molnárfi added that he hopes Trinity’s decision will create a “domino effect” and result in international divestment and later formal sanctions on Israel for its actions in Gaza.
The union president said the protestors were looking forward to taking a shower and sleeping in a comfortable bed this evening, after they dismantle the camp. “We all deserve a rest,” he added.
Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik and Senator Annie Hoey today welcomed the university’s decision to move towards divestment from Israel.
“It is clear that the protests led by Trinity College Dublin students have made a difference. Their dedication and perseverance should be commended, and their demands for divestment and accountability must be heeded,” the Labour representatives said.
Molnárfi told The Journal that he attributes the success of the students’ campaign to their decision to occupy the campus as it forced Trinity to come to the negotiating table.
“This is an ongoing campaign since at least 2016 [...] before now, we weren’t engaged with. Once they saw our actions, under the pressure, they started engaging with us and they were brought to the negotiating table.”
Similar protests to the encampment seen in Trinity College had been taking place in recent weeks across the United States, most notably in Columbia University in New York.
More than 2,100 students have been arrested after taking part in pro-Palestine protests at a number of colleges in recent weeks and police aimed to crackdown on the purposefully intrusive protests.
Police sometimes used riot gear, tactical vehicles and flash-bang devices to clear tent encampments and occupied buildings and one officer accidentally discharged his gun inside a Columbia University administration building while clearing out protesters camped inside.
Asked what was different in Trinity’s case, Molnárfi said it was the dialogue and discussions with the university administration and hopes their campaign’s success become a source of inspiration to the American students.
“The students in Colombia [University] and in the United States have shown immense resilience and bravery in the face of brutal police crackdown,” he said.
“In the United States, right-wing Zionist politicians have exerted immense amounts of pressure on university management to result the forceful means rather than dialogue to the student protests. But I believe that they will absolutely win and our movement will win.”
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