Students taking part in the Trinity Boycott Divestment Sanctions (TCD BDS) and union encampment have taken to social media calling on people to donate to protestors.
In a series of Instagram story posts on the @tcd_bds Instagram page, it says that protestors “would appreciate” items such as sleeping bags, power banks and reusable cutlery.
They added that due to Trinity’s decision to close the campus to the public, they would “appreciate the support of staff and students”.
Last night, approximately 60 people camped in Fellows Square and will remain there until College promises to cut ties with Israeli institutions and offer support to Palestinian scholars as a form of reparations.
Protestors have also blocked the entrance to the Book of Kells with benches taken from outside the Arts Building.
In a statement to Trinity News, a spokesperson said: “We’re just here following in the steps of other students all over the world, protesting so that our university cuts ties with Israeli institutions, stops exchange programs and research programs and research ties that they have with universities in Israel that are actively engaging in the production of weapons.”
The encampment is the first of its kind seen on an Irish campus following action taken by students in the United States, particularly Columbia University.
In a press release issued yesterday, College said: “While Trinity supports students’ right to protest, protests must be conducted within the rules of the university.”
College said it is “monitoring the situation closely” and access to campus has been restricted to students and staff with ID cards only.
The encampment follows College’s first official statement on Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza.
In the statement, titled “War in Gaza”, Provost Linda Doyle defended College’s decision to not cut ties with Israeli institutions, stating that academic freedom is “the cornerstone of our identity as a university”.
It also follows College’s €214,000 fine against TCDSU for “disruptive protests” that have taken place throughout the year, centering around the Book of Kells Experience and the Old Library.
The full list of items requested by BDS is as follows: sleeping bags, torches, power banks, hanging lights, bins with lids, wipes, reusable water bottles, activities, bin bags, yoga mats/ground mats, generators, power banks, pillows, tarps, reusable cutlery, tent pegs, a whiteboard, duvets, blankets, foil food trays and rope.
