Pro-Palestinian encampments emerged at the prestigious campuses of Oxford and Cambridge on Monday, drawing attention to what organizers assert as complicity with Israeli actions.
At the University of Cambridge's King's College, students erected tents on the lawn, decrying the institution's perceived support for what they term Israel's "genocide of Palestinians in Gaza." Social media footage captures participants carrying supplies onto the green, emphasizing their demands for transparency regarding the university's ties with Israel, divestment from related organizations, investment in Palestinian educational initiatives, and protection of protesting students and forced migrants.
Echoing these sentiments, students at the University of Oxford assembled tents outside the Pitt Rivers Museum, condemning the institution for allegedly housing "artifacts stolen from colonized peoples across the world." Their demands include ceasing banking activities with Barclays, contributing to Gaza's educational reconstruction, and divesting from what they term Israeli "genocide, apartheid, and occupation."
In a statement, organizers accused Oxford of unparalleled complicity in violence and colonial expansion throughout history. Chants of "Stop the bombing now, now, now. We are the people. We won’t be silenced." reverberated across the grass as students voiced their opposition.
These encampments form part of a broader wave of protests across British universities, mirroring similar actions in the United States. Recent weeks have seen encampments established in Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield, Leeds, Warwick, Bristol, and Leeds.
The escalating activism underscores mounting pressure on universities to address issues surrounding Israel-Palestine relations and alleged institutional complicity. Last week, Goldsmiths University acceded to student demands following a library sit-in, including scrapping the IHRA definition of antisemitism and offering increased scholarships for Palestinian students.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is scheduled to convene with university vice-chancellors later this month, seeking explanations regarding efforts to combat antisemitism and intimidation on campus. Photo by Wikimedia commons.