Following a protest last week that ended in a standoff with Gardaí, the University of Galway’s Students’ Union says it is “imperative” the college issue a formal and public apology.
During a protest against Coca-Cola’s pouring rights on campus last Thursday, October 22, Gardaí were called to disperse a nonviolent sit-in outside university president David Burn’s private office in the historic Quadrangle.
Nine students, including four Students’ Union officers and five members of the Palestine Solidarity Society, broke away from a picket line blocking the main entrance to sit on the floor of the office hallway until their demands were met.
The Guards were reportedly called because members of staff in the building felt unsafe. Up to 10 Guards arrived on scene, and the students say they were threatened with criminal charges and physical removal if they did not disperse.
People Before Profit issued a statement condemning the university for holding “blatant disregard” for students’ right to freedom of speech and peaceful assembly.
The SU says the university must investigate why an Garda Síochána was called, as “the calling of gardaí on peaceful protestors last week was unprecedented on this campus and must not be repeated.”
In a letter hand-delivered to SU President Seán de Búrca on Tuesday afternoon, University President David Burn says the university will review the current contract to see if it allows for termination before its expiry date in September 2027.
Coca-Cola currently has exclusive pouring rights on the University campus, meaning it has a monopoly on all drinks sold there, though the contract has not been made available for public scrutiny.
The corporation has a number of alleged well-documented human rights violations, including operating in illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Syrian Golan, which student activists say make it complicit in war crimes, as defined by the International Court of Justice.
Beyond the current contract, “the University can confirm that the Students’ Union will be involved” in the process of procuring the next, which it said will also include human rights and ethical considerations.
The SU says this response “indicates significant progress” and that they will continue to advocate for the end of the contract.
The Coca-Cola protest began as a publicised picket line last Thursday beginning at 7am. By 11am, there were over 85 students holding signs, waving Palestinian flags, availing of the free refreshments, and running a ‘pop-up gaeltacht’, set dancing on the street. Cars regularly honked in support as they passed.
Students and legal observers from the Irish Council for Civil Liberties told the Advertiser that there had been an alleged incident in the morning when a man tried to break the picket with his car, which made contact with some of the demonstrators.
After the sit-in group left for the Quadrangle at around 1pm, the assembled protestors moved to the courtyard, where they stood on the grass with signs and speakers facing President Burn’s office.
“David Burn, you can’t hide!” roared an organiser, followed by the chorus: “You’re supporting genocide!”
“Power to the people, because the people have the power,” sang a young man through a bullhorn. “Daaaaaavid, can you hear us? Getting louder by the hour!”
Gardi arrived at 2.20pm. Fifteen minutes later, the nine students exited the Quad unescorted.
Addressing the crowd from the steps, de Búrca said: “Today the university called the guards on us students.”
“Shame!” shouted students toward the office.
“Facing criminal charges, we are out here today only after the guards were called on us,” said de Búrca. “We will be raising it again, through new avenues, until the contract with Coca-Cola is no more, until the contract with Technion is no more, and ultimately, until Palestine is free.”
“The reality is we were in there sitting on the floor, peacefully, not causing problems to anybody,” added Emmet O’Reilly. “And instead of engaging with us, David Burn dismissed us, accused us of being threatening to people inside the building, none of which is true.
“Are we okay with our own university that we pay money to, that’s supposed to be a place of learning and growth, calling the police on us when we do a protest and sit on the floor? This is a very troubling precedent to set.”
The protestors left the Quad and marched through campus to the Big Yellow Thing. The mood, however, was not defeated: “This is just the start for us,” said Molly Hickey, Welfare and Equality Officer.
It was encouraging to see the student body and some staff supporting the protest and standing in solidarity with Palestine, says Oisín Kelly, auditor of the Palestine Solidarity Society.
“The reason we took an action which is more direct is because the president and the administration have failed to listen, not only to the society (which I can sort of get why he thinks we’re annoying ) but also the Students’ Union when they bring up Palestine, and that’s an issue,” he says.
The university, when reached for comment last week, said that it did not expect to issue any response to the protest.
