Former sabbatical officers of Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) have written an open letter to Provost Linda Doyle to express their “utmost support for the current Trinity Solidarity Encampment”.
They echoed the demands of the encampment that College “boycotts and divests from Israel”, citing “the war crimes being committed by the Israeli government in the Occupied Palestinian Territories”.
“This ongoing encampment represents the will of the students”, they stated, adding that TCDSU has been mandated to abide by Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) guidelines since a student-wide referendum in 2018.
The group of former sabbatical officers referenced support for the encampment amongst current students, Trinity alumni, staff, academics, and members of the Oireachtas.
They further referenced the recent assault on Rafah, in southern Gaza, a city to which many Palestinians were directed to in order to escape bombardment in northern Gaza, which is now also undergoing renewed attacks from Israel.
Rafah is on the Egyptian border, “which is under a severe Israeli blockade that has brought the territory to the verge of famine”, the signatories wrote.
“The demands of TCD BDS are noble. Trinity must condemn the attack on Gaza, support students from the region and cut financial and academic ties with Israeli institutions. Our university cannot be complicit in genocide.”
The open letter concluded in reading: “We stand behind all those in Fellows Square who are fighting for Trinity to do the right thing. They are the best of us, and are emblematic of a justice-oriented student movement.”
The signatories of this letter include the last three years’ TCDSU Presidents – Gabi Fullam, Leah Keogh and Eoin Hand. Zoë Cummins and Bev Genockey, former Education Officers, as well as Julie Smirnova and Philly Holmes, former Comms and Marketing Officers, also signed the letter.
College announced yesterday steps it will soon take to divest from Israel and the establishment of a working group to deal with academic ties to Israeli institutions. This was welcomed by protestors at the encampment, however they continue to push for their demands to be met.
