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Proctors hunt for sit-in students

University Proctors are attempting to track down the pro-Palestine protesters who barricaded themselves in the Bodleian by asking colleges to help identify students from photographs.

The proctors have not disclosed how much the demonstrators will be fined, despite some protesters’ claims that it was agreed they would be fined only £20 during negotiations with the Proctors.

A senior member of Oxford Students for Gaza and Palestine (OSGP), the group behind the occupation of the Bodleian, condemned the Proctors’ actions.

He said, “it would be a shame for goodwill on the part of the university and students to be lost because of hostile tactics used by the university to try and extract more money than was agreed from the protestors.”

The Senior Proctor denied that £20 was the correct sum. He said, “that figure was floated around afterwards but it wasn’t agreed with me.” He confirmed the actual figure agreed was “not a long was away from the figure.” But he refused to disclose the amount, saying, “opinions have been polarised. Some have said the way of handling the protest was somewhat liberal.”

So far, most colleges are co-operating with the Proctors.

But the sub-dean of Wadham, Cetta Mainwaring, has claimed that the college had so far refused to co-operate with Proctors’ request.

Mainwaring, a member of OSGP, said in an email to the group, “the Dean at Wadham and the Tutorial Office are resisting the pressure thus far.” She said the Proctors were, “aggressively following up their promise to fine us by trying to pressure Colleges to identify us in pictures.”

Mainwaring said that the other colleges had allowed the Proctor’s Office to identify students, which she feared was “putting more pressure on Wadham as the only wholly non-cooperative college.”

She appealed for members of the group to identify other colleges which were resisting the pressure, saying “they would obviously feel better about the whole thing if they knew of specific colleges that were doing the same.”
Protesters have called on colleges to “protect the interests of their students in this matter.”

Another member of OSGP commented, “we think that we shouldn’t be facing punishment for our actions. We feel we were making a legitimate point in protest of what we saw a barbarous actions of the Israeli state attacking Gaza.

“It is not down to the colleges to help identify us as college members were not massively inconvenienced by our actions. Oxford will also be alone amongst all the other 30 universities (except Sheffield Hallam) in pursuing action against people who took part in occupations.”

Michael Burden, Dean at New College, said his office would not give out photographs to the Proctors.

However, he added that the Porters’ Lodge at the college was willing to identify students in photographs brought to them.

“The Lodge may identify students as members of college,” he said, “but we would not be in the business of circulating information.”

New College is home to many prominent figures involved in the protests.
Burden said his office had not been approached by the Proctors in any matter related to the protest, but added that he would not have known if they had approached the college’s Lodge.

Proctor David Harris said, “most people had their photos taken and put on the website during the occupation,” saying this was, “the normal way we track people down.”

The Deans’ offices at St Anne’s, St Edmund’s Hall, and St Catherine’s refused to comment on their positions.

Over eighty students barricaded themselves in the Bodleian library to protest against Israel’s recent action in Gaza. The demonstration started at midday in the Clarendon building, and lasted until the protesters felt their demands had been met six hours later.

In the immediate aftermath of the occupation, a Proctor’s statement said they welcomed “the fact that this protest was peaceful and good-natured.” It continued, “negotiations with those occupying the building and their representatives were held with goodwill and in a very constructive manner.”

University Vice-Chancellor John Hood criticised the student occupation of the Clarendon building. He said the Bodleian barricade “caused disruption and inconvenience to fellow students and other members of the University” and added, “unlawful action of this kind cannot be condoned.”

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