László Molnárfi and Mia Craven
The pro-Palestine protest encampment at University College Dublin (UCD) has entered its 70th day. The unauthorised construction sits by the N11 entrance to the university, and has grown to encompass six tents and a litany of flags, banners and flyers, with socialist republican, anti-imperialist and anti-Zionist messaging. Students and non-students alike participate in the movement, organised in the “UCD Break the Chains of Academic Zionism” WhatsApp group numbering over 120. Despite intimidation and attempted evictions from the authorities, it remains firm in demanding that the university adopt a boycott of Israeli academia. Aontacht Media sat down with its instigator, Sami Kupiezewski from Social Rights Ireland, to discuss his vision.
“UCD should belong to the Irish people, not to Zionist servants”, he says, sitting on the lawn in his chair, wearing a green jacket with the words “Palestine Action” dotted on the back. A proud communist since his youth, he was involved in the Turkish scene, was imprisoned and fled as an asylum seeker across Europe, where he has been living since 2003. The protest draws attention to a broader point, which is the perceived need for a democratisation of institutions in the hands of communities, but also has a pragmatic outlook. “We have very clear demands, and in the short-term, it is that the university cut ties with Zionism. This is academic boycott. The partnership with Technion through Horizon Europe is a way of securing complicity and silence with Israel’s crimes against the Palestinian people, “ he says, adding that they are demanding a democratic platform, transparency and accountability within the university’s governance structures. “Zionism is a form of barbarity, fascism, Nazism”, he concludes.
He set up the encampment because he believes that while a large majority of the Irish population is generally supportive of Palestine, action is of critical importance. “I really appreciate Irish people’s commitment to support the oppressed and victims of the Zionist genocide in Gaza. However, everybody wants to see the end of genocide, but at the same time, without sacrificing something, “ he says. He hopes to appeal to the student and staff population of the university to directly confront Zionism, which he says would be a struggle against the “hyper-individualistic, divisive, neo-liberal design” of society. “This is seen in UCD. Most people benefit from this institution, they do not want to sever their relation with it. The university frequently lies, and people want to believe those lies because it protects them and keeps them within their comfort zones”, he concludes. He stresses that, in his view, from the university to the Irish Government and international institutions, Israel must be isolated. It is part of the broader Western imperialist project, which also oppresses ordinary people through capitalist rule, as per his analysis.
“Ireland and Palestine have historical ties, due to the shared legacy of anti-imperialist resistance. However, Ireland was never free. Today, Ireland belongs to the Western economic zone, which creates huge wealth inequality. It is the second wealthiest country in Europe, yet there is homelessness, poverty and unemployment. Many students are struggling, and this makes them obey, and in this way exposes the lack of rights, such as the right to speak out, under capitalism. This is the same system which carries out genocide, Zionist domination over the world, as part of a barbaric social order”, he notes, adding that he is “an internationalist, but the struggle also has a national character here” against British, American and EU influence over the sovereignty of Ireland. “Our camp shows that institutions should belong to the Irish people, not to the ruling class who benefit from wealth inequality and do not respect any democratic values”, he adds. “Zionist economic entities syphon money, influence the government and weaken democracy in Ireland”, he finishes. This is why the camp also demands free food, housing and transport for students, in an effort to bridge the struggle in Ireland with that of Palestine against the overarching system.
“It is the same oppressive power. A genocide is being livestreamed, and we cannot sit back and watch. This is complicity. Unacceptable to any individual. If we can’t stop these things, we cannot protect our kids here, “ he says, adding that “the Dublin government does not represent, care about Irish people suffering, they represent big companies, while Irish people struggle“.
The group has set up a GoFundMe to support its operations, which can be accessed here.