Several dozen students set up tents on Friday, May 3, on the lawn of the prestigious Trinity College university in Dublin, in a style similar to the movement that has spread across the United States in recent weeks. The students also block the library which contains the Book of Kells, a much-visited medieval manuscript. As a result of these pro-Palestinian protests, the university imposed a record fine of 214,000 euros on the student union.
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Students demand that the university cut all ties with Israel. Stella, Palestinian flag on her shoulders, does not want to be “ considered a representative of the views of Trinity, and genocide. It is therefore necessary to show that there is a separation between the students and the establishment », she judges to our correspondent in Dublin, Clemence Pénard.
Trinity University cites considerable loss of revenue following recent lockdowns Book of Kells. Visitors usually flock to admire this manuscript inside the university. Having become a real tourist attraction, the Book of Kells brings in around 10 million euros in revenue each year.
For Laszlo Molnarfi, the president of the Trinity University Dublin Students’ Union, it was necessary to block access to the Book of Kells : “ We have indefinitely barricaded access to Book of Kellsto stop the flow of money [qu’il génère]. » Exercise “ pressure on university management » East “ the only way for management to listen to us “, he believes.
As for the fine of more than 200,000 euros that the union received, Laszlo sees it as an attempt to “ intimidate, threaten and harass students “. He assures that he will not pay her. Legally, the student union has until May 30 to pay.
The establishment supports the right to demonstrate, but asks to respect “ the framework of the rules »
“ Although Trinity supports students’ right to protest, protests must be held within university rules », Indicates the establishment in a press release taken up by Agence France-Presse (AFP). “ An unauthorized BDS encampment [mouvement qui appelle au boycott d’Israël – NDLR] is present at Trinity », indicated the establishment.
Opposition to Israel’s military intervention in Gaza is very strong in Ireland, where marches calling for a ceasefire have brought thousands of people into the streets. The government itself has been very critical of the attitude of the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu since the start of the conflict, triggered after the bloody Hamas attack in Israel on October 7.
The new Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris said he was ready in mid-April to recognize a Palestinian state, seeing it as a way to contribute to the peace process in the Middle East.
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