Yesterday, September 24th, Molesworth Street was temporarily closed for a demonstration urging the government to enact the Occupied Territories Bill, which aims to criminalize the importation or sale of goods produced in illegal settlements in occupied territories, including Israel’s settlements in Palestine. The Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions National Committee (BDS) organised the demonstration, which drew participation from various solidarity groups and members of the public.
Among attendees were members of the Trinity BDS group, the Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) and other students. People lined the street as the South Kerry Friends of Palestine concluded their 10-day Walk for Peace in Palestine by arriving at the Houses of the Oireachtas at Leinster House, where they presented a petition with over 40,000 signatures supporting the bill.
Quinn Katz-Zogby, the chair of the Trinity BDS group, said: “The failure of the government to pass the Occupied Territories Bill represents the hypocrisy that’s the core of Irish conservative support for Palestine. I think there’s a lot of people in Ireland that claim that they support Palestine, which is fantastic. And I think their role in the movement is still important, but a lot of that is based more on humanism than actual understanding of problems that Palestinian people face.”
Katz-Zogby added that the bill presents an opportunity for Ireland to “do something real” for the people of Palestine by stopping the importation of goods from the occupied West Bank and acknowledging the occupation. He called for a “more broad push from the Irish government to do more material things and stop just saying words. Because, ultimately, words are nice, but they don’t actually change people’s lives.”
Some of the Trinity students at the demonstration waved Palestinian flags and joined a crowd of fellow flag and sign holders, chanting “Enact the Occupied Territories Bill” as the beat of drums echoed in the background. Signs displayed a range of messaging, from “Scorn our complicity” to “Grandfathers say stop the slaughter of innocents in Gaza”.
Jenny Maguire, TCDSU President, said: “[Student] participation is recognition that, though we do fantastic actions with Trinity, we are a part of a much broader movement — broader than Dublin, broader than Ireland — an international movement of people united with the simple cause of humanity, of demanding better of a world that is made that is made that is made to oppress Palestinians.”
For Kristen Abrahams, a postgraduate student from South Africa, her participation in the demonstration is an extension of the activism against apartheid, and underscores the importance of solidarity among movements. “I support Palestinian people and my heart is always with them.”
Hamza Bana, TCDSU Welfare Officer, recalled how students have been in the forefront of social movements over the years, like how Trinity students successfully fought for abortion rights in Ireland during the 1980s.
Bana said: “Fighting for causes like this, it shows that you actually care about something. That you’re not just here just to get your degree, to get your money afterwards…That’s not what life is about. Life is about community. Life is about love and prosperity for everyone. So fighting for these causes shows that you’re actually a good person that cares about your community.”
