‘They see how many students were killed and how it could have been them’ – Palestinian solidarity protests to continue in UCD

The students started with 500 people at their weekly protests for Gaza, several months ago. But attendance has ballooned, as more young people sign up to the UCD BDS movement.

UCD students Miranda Bauer, Martha Ní Riada, Éabha Hughes and Josi Collins, spoke to the Irish Independent in a bid to shine a light on the importance of student protests for Gaza.

Ms Bauer, campaigns and engagement officer, from the union, said there was “overwhelming support” from students for Palestinian students and lecturers.

“We kept doing the protests once a week. We saw a mass surge of students joining UCD Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS)," she said.

“Students want to help, they see all the top universities that were bombed and destroyed. They see how many academics and students were killed, or had to stop their career, they see it could have been them.”

Ms Ní Riada said while there has been a “lot of pushback against unions protesting,” the movement was resolute and students had campaigned “peacefully”.

The UCDSU president was recently ejected from a UCD event presenting an honorary doctorate of laws to former US Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi.

Ms Ní Riada went viral online after a video of her accusing Ms Pelosi of being a “war criminal” and “Zionist” was circulated on social media. She was removed from the room by the Democrat politician’s security.

“I was dragged out,” she said. “That use of force on protestors is not helpful and it’s curtailing free speech. That needs to be protected.”

The students said there were some similarities between the protests in America and their Irish counterparts, but that in Ireland the majority of the public was behind them and the events have managed to maintain a peaceful atmosphere.

The students have warned that their protest movement must be protected as part of democracy and to help raise the voices of the voiceless, including those in Gaza.