QUB security are blocking supplies to the divestment protest occupation

Protest group Fossil Free QUB, who began an occupation of the finance office in the Administration Building this Friday, are now being denied the supplies being brought to them by supporters.

The head of security had a meeting with the occupants at around 11pm yesterday to organise requests of people entering and leaving the occupied area.

According to VP Campaigns and Communications and organiser of the protest Sean Fearon, security told them they weren’t allowed to talk to people from the window or open it after it was used by the group to lower a bag down to retrieve supplies, including a birthday cake for one of the occupiers who just turned 20.

Retrieving supplies

Sean Fearon told The Tab: “Some of the occupants are PhD students teaching classes who may have to leave to teach classes, most likely not being allowed access back to the occupied area by Queen’s security.

“Myself and others are willing to remain in Queen’s indefinitely until Fossil Free QUB’s demands are met.

“Direct action was a last resort after months of meetings with the Queen’s management to cut the £5.5 million annually invested by Queens into fossil fuels had proved unsuccessful and occupation was a new tactic to bring the process forward.

“We managed to get a birthday card up for the birthday by means other than the bag and rope, but in regards to everything else, we’re well stocked up for the long haul”.

Security have since moved a van underneath the window to block any further attempts to get goods into the building.

Security are blocking supplies from the protest group

This morning, the Fossil Free QUB Facebook page posted: “Food and supplies are being blocked into Fossil Free QUB – Queen’s University have subsequently lied about this in the media.

“Your support is crucial – this is one of the first major direct actions undertaken by student activists in years.

“If you care about your university, if you care about our planet, come to the demo tomorrow and show your support.”

The group is seeking for the university to halt new investment in fossil fuels, to publicly pledge to divest from fossil fuels and agree a schedule to withdraw all fossil fuel investments by 2020.