Although some of them have been broken up by the police, many camps are still located on university grounds around the world, as a measure of solidarity with the people of Gaza, and to peacefully protest against the merciless slaughter that is wrought by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on the people of Gaza. It is estimated that at least 35,000 people have died and 78,000 were injured as a result of this horrific fighting. The war began with surprise terrorist attacks by the terrorist group Hamas on October 7, 2023. About 1,200 people were killed and 250 people were kidnapped in that attack. The Israeli government consequently promised to eliminate Hamas. Israel began a ground attack in the Gaza Strip on October 27, 2023, and they are not finished yet. Unfortunately, the civilians of Gaza are the most affected by the war. There are not many buildings left standing in the strip, and there is now a shortage of food. More than a million people, or half the population in the Strip, do not have enough food or clean water. That is a major disaster as it is, and the people of Gaza are facing even more disaster - especially if the IDF attacks the city of Rafah, now home to more than 1.5 million people, most of them refugees from elsewhere in Gaza.

Unconditional support

The Hamas attack shocked countries around the world, and all countries understood that there would be a strong response from Israel. The United States and the European Union stood firmly with Israel and understood that Israel had the right to defend its country and to counterattack and subdue Hamas. They also understood that the punishment should fit the crime, and that Israel had an international duty to avoid killing innocent civilians. But the IDF carried out attack after attack indiscriminately, and on average, a child dies in Gaza every ten minutes. This is unacceptable and in all likelihood Israel is breaking international law. But despite everything, the United States and the European Union are too slow to move their position and withdraw their support until Israel fulfills its international obligations. The United States is still supplying Israel with offensive weapons, when they know full well what will be done with them. That approach does not sit well with the view of the majority of the western public.

Public Protest

When there is a significant difference between the government's policies and the public's point of view, the public shows its displeasure and often takes to the streets in protest and organizes protest marches. It is now the case regarding Gaza, and large protest marches take place in Ireland, the United States and many other countries, demanding an end to the terrible violence taking place there.

A protest movement is also emerging in universities around the world, with students setting up camps on their university grounds. The students at Columbia University were among the first to set up camps, and that movement spread to campuses across the country, from California to Ohio to Georgia. Then, it spread around the world, including to universities in Ireland and to Trinity College in particular. The students have issued a list of demands, asking their universities to issue a statement criticizing Israel and to stop dealing with Israeli companies, and especially those companies involved in human rights violations against the Palestinian. On the Columbia campus, the students took over the university building (Hamilton Hall). On account of that, the president of the university called the police. They entered the campus and closed down the camp and arrested more than 300 people. A total of 2200 people were arrested across the country on university campuses. A few universities in the United States - including Brown University, Northwestern University, Rutgers University, University of Minnesota, UCLA and the University of California at Riverside - have said they would take steps to divest.

Ray of Hope

Over 40 tents were erected on the Trinity College campus on May 3, and therefore, a meeting was organized between the university and the protesters on May 6. The university has yielded to several demands saying it will stop investing in three Israeli companies that are on the United Nations Human Rights Council's list of companies involved in illegal Israeli settlements. The university also promised to establish a task force to investigate Israeli institutions, and to provide eight scholarships to Gaza students . Although the university did not give in to all the demands of the protesters, and although the protesters did not stop their campaign, it is a good sign that the two parties are talking and making progress together. As this article goes to press, President Biden has just intercepted a large shipment of bombs from Israel – 1,800 bombs weighing 2,000 pounds and 1,700 bombs weighing 500 pounds. That's a step in the right direction, and it's quite possible that the peaceful protests, including in the universities, had a significant impact on President Biden's decision. If so, it shows how powerful peaceful protests are against unrestrained violence!

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