This morning at 9:00 AM, members of Oxford Action for Palestine (OA4P) initiated an occupation of the Radcliffe Camera Library, declaring the “establishment of the Khalida Jarrar Library in solidarity with Palestine”. OA4P demands that Oxford University takes immediate action. The activists posted on Instagram that the University “upholds Israeli occupation and apartheid, and which enabled ruthless Israeli genocide in Gaza.”
In the statement released by the group, OA4P has outlined six key demands. These include: transparency in all financial holdings(to ensure no ties to entities involved in alleged human rights violations), the immediate removal of university investments linked to Israeli occupation and apartheid, and a commitment to ethical and socially responsible investment practices. They also call for the University to sever ties with organizations and institutions that support or enable Israeli policies, end financial relationships with Barclays due to its alleged complicity in funding Israeli militarism, and directing resources toward rebuilding higher education infrastructure in Gaza.
The group has vowed to continue the occupation until Oxford University publicly agrees to meet these demands within an unspecified time frame. “As Palestinians in Gaza are finally allowed a moment to breathe, grieve, return, and begin rebuilding their homes, mosques, churches, schools, and hospitals, our efforts must be redoubled,” OA4P stated.
As of this writing, Oxford University has not released an official response to the occupation or OA4P’s demands. The Radcliffe Camera has been unavailable to students all day, with security and university staff present at the scene.
One OA4P member, who was present at the Radcliffe Camera, told The Blue earlier in the day that the police had used force on students, and they were assessing how injured the student was. They remarked that they were “not shocked by” the use of force as they alleged that Thames Valley Police had policed protests in a similar manner before.
A member of the Police Liaison team initially told The Blue that the protest had been mostly “peaceful” so far. However, an altercation did develop between OA4P protesters and police, though the presence of more police de-escalated the situation.
At roughly 16:00 a protester was removed from the Radcliffe Camera. The protesters were unwilling to move and were held by police before being scaled down the building.
The remaining OA4P occupiers were removed from the Radcliffe Camera by police after 5 pm, and staff returned to work in the library. The remaining protestors held a candlelight vigil outside the main gates at 6 pm, where the names of dead Palestinians were read aloud.
Protestors occupied the building for a total of 7 hours. A statement from the University “thoroughly condemns the disruption and distress” caused by the protesters.