Trinity College students staged a protest this lunchtime in college against dining policies on campus.
The Students4Change group organised a protest in the Buttery, the main eatery on Trinity College's main campus. Protestors allege that students are being asked to leave the premises if they don't buy food on site, which they argue is unfair as costs continue to mount.
Students staged a simple sit down demonstration in the canteen between 1 and 2pm and brought in lunches from home. The group's founder Laszlo Molnarfi said that students deserve to have access to college spaces without being pressurised to pay up.
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Laszlo told Dublin Live: "Universities have become so commercialised and are treating students like cash cows. There were signs on the tables in here saying outside food can't be brought in, which is a slap in the face and really lets Trinity students down."
Jenny Maguire, gender equality officer of Trinity's Student Union, also attended today's protest. She agreed that colleges were becoming increasingly inaccessible and said all students had a right to access college services.
Jenny said: "People are paying €3,000 a year in fees and can't even eat inside. Prices have gone up across the board and students are really feeling the hardship of that- those on a small budget can't enjoy the college experience at all."
Lazslo said that Students4Change received numerous complaints since September from people who were asked to leave the Buttery for not purchasing food, even when there were plenty of empty seats at the eatery. He described the policy as "elitist" and said that tourists and paying customers should not be prioritised over student welfare.
He added: "Students are becoming increasingly afraid to go to any catering places at all, out of the fear they will be asked to leave. The message this policy sends is that college is not an inclusive place for those who are struggling during the cost of living crisis."
A staff member at the Buttery said that signage which refers to their food policy often gets destroyed by visitors. The Buttery declined to comment further on the demonstration.
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