The Union of Students in Ireland stands in solidarity with Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union and the Trinity students who have set up an encampment for Palestine on the campus.
USI also strongly condemns attempts by the college to fine the Students’ Union €214,000 for using their right to protest to demand the university cuts ties with Israel, as it carries out genocide against the Palestinian people.
TCD Students’ Union and Trinity students have carried out a number of protests against the college’s links with Israel and against attempts by Trinity management to increase rents and fees for students, which are already prohibitively high.
USI members and other student representatives and activists have also attended these protests this year and we will continue to stand with the union.
The announcement of the fine on Thursday was clearly an attempt to stop the further escalation of the protests and to stop this encampment going ahead. College management thought they could scare students into not standing with the students in the US whose actions are clearly having a global impact. This has not worked, and it will not work.
USI Vice President for Campaigns, Zaid Al-Barghouthi said: “TCD Students’ Union has acted in line with the wishes of the majority of staff and students at Trinity College. A recent poll carried out by Trinity News showed 76 per cent of students agree they have been effective. Protests that the college deem to be in line with their ‘rules’ would not work. That is not real protest. Through the fine and ongoing threats of more fines or exclusions from the college, management is punishing students for caring about the university’s complicity in genocide and about current and future students who cannot afford to pay high rents or more fees and are essentially being sent the message that third-level is not for them.
“By continually underfunding third-level institutions, the Government has forced colleges to act like private businesses. The college is now trying to push the Students’ Union out of existence, but students will not allow this to happen. USI is proud of how the Students’ Union and Trinity students are standing up to these tactics and we will continue to give them our full support. We encourage our other member unions to follow suit, and USI will fully support them also.”