Trinity agrees to work towards total divestment from Israeli institutions

The student encampment in Trinity College Dublin will come to an end later this evening after the college agreed to work towards total divestment from Israeli institutions, marking a victory for Trinity Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS).

The protestors have unanimously accepted Trinity’s terms, Trinity News reports. The announcement comes after a five-day camp out protest in Fellows’ Square, blocking access to the Book of Kells. BDS urged the college to cut its ties with Israel and to condemn their military operation in Gaza.

Following a meeting today, Trinity College Dublin Students Union President László Molnárfi, president-elect Jenny Maguire, BDS Chair Isobel Duffy and Postgraduate Workers’ Organisation announced that Trinity has agreed to work towards the protestors’ demands.

They confirmed that the encampment will not be dismantled until a statement from the Trinity protestors is issued, although it is expected this afternoon. The encampment should end this evening.

Good morning from day 5 from Free Trinity pic.twitter.com/DOpHlov7lY

— Jenny 🇵🇸 (@jennymaguir) May 8, 2024

After closing its campus to the public over the weekend, Trinity College Dublin released a statement on Monday, saying it was to consider divesting from Israel.

The statement reads: “Trinity has initiated a process to divest from investments in companies that have activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and appear on the UN Blacklist in this regard.”

“This process is expected to be completed by June. In April, the National Treasury Management Agency confirmed to government that it had taken a similar approach regarding the Irish Strategic Investment Fund,”

A taskforce including student representatives is set to be formed to work towards the protestors demands, including a complete divestment from Israeli institutions and the end of Trinity’s partnerships with Israeli universities.

Commenting on the encampment, Maguire told Trinity News: “[We came] to say that we demand more of our college and we want a better college and that is what we have shown and that is what we have won.”