A letter from the Trinity branch of Academia for Palestine calling on College to “move away from its policy of silence” has gained 375 signatures from staff and postgraduates.
The letter demands College and Provost Linda Doyle to “release a statement that engages with and is in line with the demands of staff and students”.
Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology Dr David Landy and Head of Nursing and Midwifery and Associate Professor Fintan Sheerin met with the Provost on March 7 to deliber the letter and discuss Colleges response to the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
The letter finds “the lack of any engagement or statement on the part of College leadership has grown increasingly troubling”.
It continues saying: “Even if a ceasefire happens, the system of permanent violence and oppression through which Israel rules Palestinians, in which the silence of academia plays a crucial role, will continue.”
The letter notes its concerns regarding the ongoing ties College has with Israeli institutions saying “these relationships help maintain the legitimacy of the Israeli state’s actions and make our College community complicit in their crimes”.
Academia for Palestine are calling on College to issue a statement condemning the “the destruction of Gaza’s infrastructure”, “the deliberate attacks against Palestinians”, to join “other institutions, including University of Galway, in their demand for an immediate ceasefire” and more.
The letter by Academia for Palestine in its entirety, including their demands, can be viewed here.
The organisation said it previously tried to organise a meeting with the Provost in December 2023 to deliver the letter, although it noted it is “optimistic” that its concerns “will be heard”.
In a letter to the editor of Trinity News in February, Sheerin called on “all members of the College community to speak out as lives are lost in catastrophic numbers” noting that “silence is not an option”.
Since the invasion of Gaza by Israeli forces on October 7, it is reported that over 30,000 Palestinians have been killed.
