An estimated 100 people gathered at the Clarendon Building Wednesday morning to protest Israel’s recent violence against Palestine and to urge Oxford University to “act against genocide”. The protesters then walked to Wellington Square, where University administrators have their offices.
The demonstration was the second major one in Oxford since Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October and Israel unleashed a barrage of airstrikes on the Gaza Strip. Since then at least 3,000 people have been killed in Gaza, in addition to 1,400 in Israel. The “emergency protest” was called following the explosion of a hospital in Gaza last night.
Leaders of the protest said Israel has committed war crimes against Palestinians “with the support of the UK government and the complicity of Oxford University”. They circulated a petition urging the University to “Act Against Genocide” with demands to condemn Israel’s “war crimes” against Palestine; ensure preservation of free speech on campus; and “[i]mmediately sever all financial ties to all arms manufacturers and Israel-based companies complicit in the destruction of Gaza”. They directed their demands at Oxford Vice-Chancellor Irene Tracey and other administrators.
The petition further stated: “A Freedom of Information request sent by the Action on Armed Violence found that Oxford is in the top 5 universities in the UK to accept arms funding (2013-2021) from companies found by Amnesty International to fail to ‘demonstrate adequate human rights due diligence’, including Cobham and Lockheed Martin which… are known to have contributed to weaponry that was used to bombarded Gaza.”
One student also told Cherwell: “These companies benefit from destruction and warfare and their profits have skyrocketed over the latest onslaught of war crimes in Gaza”, adding that “we must refuse complicity in the business of war and demonstrate that we value human life and human rights more so than we do money.”
Oxford’s Israel Society have since also issued a statement, writing: “Less than two weeks ago, Hamas perpetuated one of the most horrific terrorist attacks in history,” stating that “it is the duty of the world to see Hamas removed” and that “Israel unfortunately must take this task upon itself.”
They further claimed that “Hamas is using the people of Gaza as human shields. Under the laws of armed conflict, civilian infrastructure used for military purposes are legal targets, and their destruction is not a war crime. It has been well established, beyond reasonable doubt, that Hamas use civilian infrastructure and resources for military purposes.”
Additionally, they claimed that “[a]n aspect of the Hamas disinformation campaign has been the re-framing of Israeli attempts to save civilians as illegal or even genocidal.” They added: “We pray for the safety of civilians, in Israel and in Gaza” and “a swift and just end to this conflict.”
A Jewish student at Oxford approached for comment said they were “initially sympathetic to the Israeli cause” but due to Israeli actions of the last week have become “significantly less so.”
The University also told Cherwell: “Oxford University’s primary focus is the health and well-being of staff and students impacted by the terrible events in Israel and Gaza, and it has written directly to those affected to offer welfare and other types of support. Both the University and its colleges are working to ensure all members of our community are supported as much as possible, and we will continue to respond as appropriate as the situation develops.”
