College have responded to the shutting down of the Dining Hall amid protests. In a statement, a spokesperson for College said that the students “are not locked into the Dining Hall”.
The statement said that students “can leave at any time they want, and the College is taking all steps to ensure that the students inside are safe”. Trinity said that they are “not letting anyone else into the building, as there were concerns that large numbers of non-students had been invited into the building through an open call, and this would result in unacceptable risks for all concerned”.
Noonan security, an external security company, are currently at the Dining Hall.
In a statement to Trinity News this evening, the group said: “Students were locked into the Dining Hall as part of the ongoing occupation in Trinity College Dublin. External Security services are now blocking all entrances into the Dining Hall. Security have made it clear that no food or water will be permitted into the Dining hall. Toilet access has also been cut off.”
The statement continued: “Students will be permitted to leave the building if they wish. Access to all other parts of the Dining hall have been cut off, and students have been warned that the doors are now alarmed. If the alarm is triggered an emergency response unit will be immediately sent. The occupation started yesterday when a body of approximately 60 students occupied and secured the Dining Hall in Trinity. This was a peaceful occupation, with students allowed to enter and leave the building freely up until till now.”
