Trinity College Dublin gives in to protesters, cuts ties with Israel firms

Trinity College in Dublin has given in to the demands by pro-Palestine protesters and vowed to sever all ties with Israeli firms. Though the protests started at Columbia University and spread to a dozen countries, Trinity College in Dublin became the first where protesting students got what they were demanding.

The victory for the Trinity College students came after five days of protests. Trinity College Dublin is ranked 81 among 5,000 institutes in the world by the QS World University Rankings 2024.

The Trinity College students had pitched tents on the college campus and emerged victorious on Wednesday after denying others entry to the Book of Kells, a library containing prized Christian gospels, according to the Guardian.

The college finally gave in and nodded to cut its ties with the three Israeli companies that "have activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and appear on the UN blacklist,” said the college. “Trinity will endeavour to divest from investments in other Israeli companies.”

The ties will be divested by the next month along with any investments in these companies in the future. Only one company will remain a supplier till 2025 as it is bound by a contract.

“We fully understand the driving force behind the encampment on our campus, and we are in solidarity with the students in our horror of what is happening in Gaza,” said the college in a statement, according to the New York Times.

“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 college added. “The humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the dehumanisation of its people is obscene.”

The protests began in Trinity on May 3 when several students set up camps in Fellows' Square. These protests have remained peaceful and were led by the student union.

The students are now dismantling the camps and calling it a day.

Jenny Maguire, the President of Trinity's student union even reflected on the peaceful nature of their protests and the violence of the American protests.

“The college was determined that it would be an example going forward,” Maguire said, according to The New York Times, “It refused to follow the US example of bringing the police in and made it clear that it would not pursue anything like that here.”

“I think the loss of revenue was key,” said Ruby Topalian, features editor of Trinity News, a student publication. “I think it’s unprecedented. The campus seems very happy.”

Professor Eoin O’Sullivan, who was leading the discussions between the college and the students said, “I think the negotiations were very productive and very fruitful, and I’d compliment the students for their part in it.”

Support for the Palestinian people is immense in Ireland and some have even compared Israel's control over the Palestinian territories to British rule over their own nation.