Why have students always been so keen to engage politically? As students, we have the opportunity to learn, get a degree and hopefully attain a career after graduation. We can read political theory, critically engage and meet others doing the same. Most of us are lucky enough to have a level of privilege which is something that we can use to speak out. So when it comes to times of political uncertainty, moments when we see others being oppressed and see our rights, or the rights of others, being undermined or ignored, it seems right and just for us to be engaged in activist movements.
Students have always been at the heart of political protests. In the US in the 1960s, anti-war protests helped convince President Nixon to remove troops from Vietnam. Earlier than that, the May Fourth protests led by students in Beijing in 1919 spurred change and uprising. And, more recently, we in Trinity have frequently been right at the heart of Irish activism, from the March for Choice to the Education Is march and engagement in campaigns to end direct provision, among others.
With that in mind, it seems only natural that we, as students, should participate in the Strike 4 Repeal on March 8th.
Last month, a group of academics, activists, artists and trade unionists released a demand for the Irish government to call a referendum before March 8th. In the absence of this referendum, Ireland will strike.
As students, this means we can try to show solidarity in several ways. Where possible, we can ask teaching staff to show support by rescheduling classes, making notes available online or excusing absences
The eighth amendment has been in place for 34 years. In those 34 years, Irish people have tirelessly campaigned for its repeal and for safe and legal access to abortion in this country. This campaigning has included marches, demonstrations, posters, stickers and leaflets. We have heard the stories of those affected, and we have informed others and ourselves about what is at stake. Despite this tireless campaigning, the government have been less than keen to take action. Given this, it seems clear that there will be a strike on March 8th.
We understand that not everyone can strike. Given this, the strike will be non-traditional and will encompass alternative ways of taking action. We can wear all black, or even a black armband, in solidarity. We can walk out and demonstrate at 12pm, for the 12 people who travel every day in Ireland to get an abortion overseas. Some will take a day of leave on March 8th, some will ask those less affected by the eighth amendment to swap shifts with them and some will abstain from domestic labour. This day of action can have the power to show how many of us are affected beyond just those who are able to take to the streets.
As students, this means we can try to show solidarity in several ways. Where possible, we can ask teaching staff to show support by rescheduling classes, making notes available online or excusing absences. Where this is not possible, alternative demonstrations can take place, or even just the donning of a black outfit will make a statement. We must do something. Trinity has repeatedly shown itself to be a pro-choice environment. From the overwhelming support in Trinity College Dublin’s Student Union’s (TCDSU) referendum in 2014 on the issue to more recent debates in the Graduate Memorial Building (GMB), the majority of students believe that the eighth amendment should be repealed.
This day of action may seem defunct while the Citizens’ Assembly is taking place to those who believe in its effectiveness. However, it’s clear the Citizens’ Assembly is just another delaying tactic put in place by a government abdicating responsibility on an issue affecting Irish people on a daily basis. And regardless of the Citizens’ Assembly’s conclusions, the government is under no obligation to take action. We need to continue campaigning to show that this is an issue that we as a nation feel strongly about and to make the government stop and listen.
For those who are pro-choice, but have not attended a march or demonstration before, this is your chance
Last October, the people of Poland donned black and took the streets in protest of a proposed bill banning abortion and their government stopped and listened. The bill never went through. The Strike 4 Repeal has a precedent. It has worked before and, who knows, it may work again.
We, as students, should demonstrate on March 8th. We need to speak out not just for the women who travel every day for an abortion, but also for the trans men and non-binary people who are equally affected by the eighth amendment, for those who do not have the means or privilege to pay for a trip to the UK and for asylum seekers and others who simply can’t leave the country. In the coming weeks, we have the chance to bring the conversation on the eighth amendment to an even greater level. It’s not just the committed repealers who need to engage here. It’s everyone.
For those who are pro-choice, but have not attended a march or demonstration before, this is your chance. For those who are unsure of where you stand, this is the time to talk and ask questions. We are a generation who have not even had the chance to vote on this issue. We need to take the opportunity to let our voices be heard.
Áine Palmer is an activist and organiser in Trinity’s Strike 4 Repeal movement.
