LONDON: British police have arrested sixteen people at a protest staged by a pro-Palestinian student group at Oxford University, in the latest flare-up on a prestigious campus over the war in Gaza.
Thames Valley Police said the individuals were taken into custody on Thursday on suspicion of aggravated trespass, while one was also arrested on suspicion of common assault, western media reported.
It follows demonstrations in recent weeks at more than a dozen British universities, including at world-renowned Oxford and Cambridge, emulating similar actions on campuses in the US and elsewhere.
Protesters opposed to Israel’s handling of the war against Hamas in Gaza have made various demands, including that universities sever academic and financial relations with the country.
In Oxford, the arrests came after protesting students entered a university administrative building on Thursday morning, claiming they had exhausted all other avenues of communication with administrators.
A spokesperson for the Oxford Action for Palestine (OA4P) protest group said that instead of engaging in dialogue with her students, the vice-chancellor chose to evacuate the building, place it on lockdown, and call the police to make arrests. We demand the administration meet with us to talk immediately; the spokesperson added.
Videos of Protest at Oxford University
Footages posted on social media showed people sitting on the ground in front of a police van being dragged away by officers, as onlookers chanted “shame”.
Oxford University said in a statement that protesters had “gone beyond” peaceful demonstration, and that had “culminated in forced entry and temporary occupation” of some university offices.
