lang: en
Summary
In May 2024, students at Trinity College Dublin organized a five-day encampment and blockade of the Book of Kells Museum to demand the university divest from Israeli companies. The university agreed to a phased divestment, becoming one of the first to do so. The campaign drew inspiration from U.S. campus protests and used strategic disruption to achieve its goal.
Background
Since Israel’s assault on Gaza began in October 2023, Trinity’s BDS movement organized weekly protest marches. A Freedom of Information request revealed Trinity’s business ties with Israeli companies, prompting students to demand divestment. The university initially remained neutral on the genocide, which motivated students to take direct action.
What happened
On April 30, 2024, students blockaded the entrance to the Book of Kells Museum, causing significant loss of tourist revenue; the students’ union was fined $232,585 [source: nv-database]. Despite the fine and exams week, students continued planning an encampment, which began on the evening of Friday, May 3, after news of the plan leaked to university security [source: nv-database]. The encampment involved a well-coordinated infrastructure team, security shifts, and a three-tier risk assessment system for potential arrests [source: nv-database]. Students wore face masks or keffiyehs to protect their identity, and strict rules governed photography and social media [source: nv-database]. Staff from Academia for Palestine provided material support, teach-ins, and solidarity [source: nv-database]. On Monday, May 6, university management agreed to treat the encampment as an internal matter and not call the Gardaí [source: nv-database]. By Wednesday, May 8, a divestment agreement was finalized: business ties with Israeli companies would not be renewed, with the final contract expiring in March 2025, and a taskforce was created to address academic ties [source: nv-database]. The encampment ended that evening [source: nv-database]. The students’ union continues to refuse to pay the fine [source: nv-database].
Key people & organizations
- Trinity College Dublin
- Trinity BDS
- Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union
- Academia for Palestine (AfP)
- László Molnárfi
- Ben (anonymous student)
- Elisa Zito
- Caroline Jagoe
- Eman Abboud
- Brendan Ciaran Browne
Tactics used
- boycotts-and-strikes
- nonviolent-direct-action
- civil-resistance
- coalition-building
- distributed-organizing
- dilemma-actions
- framing-and-narrative
- escalation
- affinity-groups
- petitions-and-e-campaigning
- public-narrative
- power-mapping
The blockade of the Book of Kells Museum directly threatened the university’s revenue, forcing engagement, while the encampment created sustained pressure and media attention. The combination of strategic disruption, democratic decision-making, and staff support built a unified front that made the university’s divestment the most viable option. [source: nv-database]
Outcome
Verdict: won.
Trinity College Dublin agreed to a phased total divestment from Israeli companies, a clear victory for the student movement. The success is attributed to the students’ strategic targeting of revenue, good leadership, and the university’s choice to engage constructively rather than repressively, partly due to public sympathy in Ireland. [source: nv-database]
Lessons
- Targeting an institution’s financial vulnerabilities (e.g., tourist revenue) can force negotiation.
- Pre-encampment planning, including risk assessment and security protocols, helps maintain safety and discipline.
- Building alliances with staff and faculty provides material support and legitimacy.
- Democratic decision-making within the camp strengthens commitment and adaptability.
- Using Freedom of Information requests to expose institutional ties can mobilize anger and justify direct action.
Sources
Disclaimer: Included as a teaching example of campaign craft, not as endorsement.
Sources & verification
nv-database— grounding: primary — license: link-only- Rewritten: 2026-06-25 via
worker_casestudies_v2.py