Email the emails below (Provost Linda Doyle and Board of Trinity College Dublin) and show that you support TCDSU and the students and workers being threatened for protesting! Scroll down for student, alumni, staff and PGR templates

Subject: matter of serious concern

To:

For TCD students:

Dear Provost Linda Doyle and Board,

I am a student at Trinity College Dublin. I am writing to you to express my support for my Students’ Union, as well as the individual student and postgraduate advocates who are being threatened with disciplinary action.

It is the role of the union to support and fight for the students they represent. Our union is being fined for fighting against fee increases, for better working conditions for postgraduate researchers, against college’s ties to Israel, and against rent increases. To demonise such actions sets a dangerous precedent, and will affect all students’ abilities to express their thoughts freely.

Fining the union close to a quarter of a million euro for protesting is fundamentally wrong. It punishes the union for taking disruptive action, something they are entitled to do under college statutes. In Schedule 2(1) it explicitly notes that students should not disrupt the regular functioning of college or bring the college into disrepute unless these statutes interfere with the legitimate right of students to assemble and express grievances. College has remained silent on the issues that matter most to us students, and the attempt to separate us will not work. Singling out individual activists for disciplinary action flies in the face of the college community we pride ourselves in creating. The union is democratically elected by students, and I support them.

We support our union,

Signed

YOUR NAME

For alumni

Dear Provost Linda Doyle and Board,

I am an alumnus of Trinity College Dublin. I am writing to you to express my support for the Students’ Union, as well as the individual activists for students and postgraduate researchers who are being threatened with disciplinary action.

It is the role of the union to support and fight for the students they represent. The union is being fined for fighting against fee increases, for better working conditions for postgraduate researchers, against college’s ties to Israel, and against rent increases. It is the job of the union to fight in the students’ interests unapologetically, with protesting being a long tradition and normality within student activism. To demonise such actions sets a dangerous precedent, and will affect all students’ abilities to express their thoughts freely.

Fining the union close to a quarter of a million euro for protesting is fundamentally wrong. It punishes the union for taking disruptive action, something they are entitled to do under college statutes. In Schedule 2(1) it explicitly notes that students should not disrupt the regular functioning of college or bring the college into disrepute unless these statutes interfere with the legitimate right of students to assemble and express grievances. College has remained silent on the issues that matter most to students, and the attempt to separate them from their union will not work, and I encourage them to keep going. Singling out individual activists for disciplinary action flies in the face of the college community we pride ourselves in creating.

Stop the union busting,

Signed

YOUR NAME

For TCD Staff

Dear Provost Linda Doyle and Board,

I am a staff member at Trinity College Dublin. I am writing to you to express my support for the Students’ Union, as well as the individual student and postgraduate  activists who are being threatened with disciplinary action.

It is the role of the union to support and fight for the students they represent. The union is being fined for fighting against fee increases, for better working conditions for postgraduate researchers, against college’s ties to Israel, and against rent increases. To demonise such actions sets a dangerous precedent, and will affect the ability of students and staff  to express their thoughts freely due to fear of disproportionate repercussions.

Fining the union close to a quarter of a million euro for protesting is wrong on so many levels. It punishes the union for taking disruptive action, something they are entitled to do under college statutes. In Schedule 2(1) it explicitly notes that students should not disrupt the regular functioning of college or bring the college into disrepute unless these statutes interfere with the legitimate right of students to assemble and express grievances. The College has remained silent on the issues that matter most to our students, and the attempt to separate them from their union will not work. Singling out individual activists for disciplinary action flies in the face of the college community we pride ourselves in creating. The union is democratically elected by students, and I support them.

Stop the Union busting,

Signed

YOUR NAME

For postgraduate researchers:

Dear Provost Linda Doyle and Board,

I am a postgraduate researcher at Trinity College Dublin. I am writing to you to express my support for the Students’ Union, as well as the individual activists and PWO members who are being threatened with disciplinary action by college.

It is the role of the union to support and fight for the students they represent. The union is being fined for fighting against fee increases, for better working conditions for postgraduate researchers, against college’s ties to Israel, and against rent increases. To demonise such actions sets a dangerous precedent, and will affect the ability of students and staff  to express their thoughts freely due to fear of disproportionate repercussions.

Fining the union close to a quarter of a million euro for protesting is wrong on so many levels. It punishes the union for taking disruptive action, something they are entitled to do under college statutes. In Schedule 2(1) it explicitly notes that students should not disrupt the regular functioning of college or bring the college into disrepute unless these statutes interfere with the legitimate right of students to assemble and express grievances. The College has remained silent on the issues that matter most to our students, and the attempt to separate them from their union will not work. Singling out individual activists for disciplinary action flies in the face of the college community we pride ourselves in creating. The TCDSU and the PWO are democratically elected by students and PhDs, and I support them.

Stop the Union busting,

Signed

YOUR NAME