– Zaina Aman
26 May 2024: Tensions rose at the University of Oxford as police arrested 16 students from the Oxford Action for Palestine (OA4P) coalition during a peaceful sit-in at the university’s Administrative Offices. The students were demanding that the university sever ties with Israeli institutions due to the ongoing violence in Gaza.
On May 23, OA4P members entered the Wellington Square Office building complex and initiated a sit-in at the Vice Chancellor’s office, intending to remain until their demands were addressed. The protesters accused the Vice Chancellor of falsely claiming that the university was attempting to communicate through “established channels,” despite ignoring OA4P’s meeting requests. When police arrived, the students offered to leave but were arrested instead, and their phones were confiscated, preventing them from recording the incident.
The arrests led to an outcry, with over a hundred community members blocking exits to stop police from taking the students away. The protesters were also denied bathroom access while in the building.
Two days before the sit-in, OA4P set up a second encampment on the lawn of the Radcliffe Camera Library, vowing to stay until the university agreed to negotiations based on their preconditions. They emphasized the symbolic significance of the location, linked to Alfred Milner, a key figure in the 1917 Balfour Declaration.
The sit-in took place amid increasing violence in Gaza, where Israel’s military offensive has displaced over 800,000 people. OA4P cited reports of famine, medical shortages, and mass graves in Gaza to underscore the urgency of their demands. In the weeks leading up to the sit-in, OA4P’s “Liberated Zone” encampment garnered substantial support from the university community.
