University students in Ireland and Switzerland join pro-Palestinian protests demanding severing academic ties and divestment from companies with ties to Israel

Students at Trinity College Dublin in Ireland and the University of Lausanne in Switzerland staged two sit-ins against Israel’s war in Gaza, joining a wave of demonstrations currently sweeping the US universities.

In Dublin, students pitched tents on Friday, forcing the university to restrict access to campus on Saturday and close the Kiehl’s Book Gallery, one of Ireland’s top tourist attractions.

The protest camp was set up after the student union said the university had fined him 214,000 Euros ($230,000) for losses incurred as a result of protests in recent months not just related to the war in Gaza.

The protesters are demanding Trinity College sever academic ties with Israel and divest from companies with ties to Israel.

Student Union President Laszlo Molnarvia posted a picture of benches stacked at the entrance to the building housing the Kiehl’s Book exhibition.

Trinity College said it had restricted access to the campus to students, staff and residents to ensure safety, and that the Kiehl’s Book Fair would close on Saturday.

Health officials in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip said more than 35,000 Palestinians killed in the seven-month-old Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip.

The war began when Hamas militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and abducting 252, 133 of whom are believed to be still being held in Gaza.

Pro-Palestinian protests were also held at universities in Australia and Canada.

At the University of Lausanne, about 100 students took control of a building and made several demands, including an end to scientific cooperation with Israel.

One protester told Swiss television on Saturday, “Palestinians have been dying for more than 200 days, but no one hears us”.

“Now there is a global movement to push governments to take action, but that isn’t happening; That’s why we want to engage universities now”.

The university said it may allow students to stay in the building until Monday, provided that does not disrupt work on campus.

University rector Fredrik Herrmann told RTS radio, “We at universities are not required to take political positions”.

Linda Doyle, president of Trinity College, said in a statement a few days ago that the university was reviewing its investments, but that the decision was up to academics to work with Israeli institutions.