Wednesday, April 30, 2025
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Review: Chickpea

Oliver Hall
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Review: Chickpea

There is no shortage of falafel in Oxford. Everywhere from kebab vans to Pret a Manger will happily give you their take on the Middle Eastern staple. What Chickpea serve though is different — authentic, cared for, and well thought out, owner Will is determined to do things the right way. That approach might start with the falafel but it is central to every aspect of the menu here at Oxford’s newest opening.

Will knows the Oxford food scene better than almost anyone. He runs the extremely successful Alpha bar, Vaults and Gardens cafe and Will’s Deli as well as preparing to open Salsas on the High Street. He manages to carve out a new niche, a new identity, and attract new customers with each of these different outlets. The one unifying factor is that they are all always packed. Open for just five days, the same is true here at Chickpea. Just after midday, the queue was already building and by the time we left, it was out the door. This owner is the ultimate foodie who knows how to make a success of the business. It seems to me though that his secrets are simple — care and authenticity.

This time around he has been inspired by his travels to the Middle East. In conversation (listen to the podcast below), he talks passionately about the sustainability of the chickpea and its unique qualities as a foodstuff. From its flexibility to its flavour, he has all bases covered and every way that he prepares it here, whether that be in the tagine or falafel, is thought through with ultimate authenticity and flavour in mind. From soaking times to fresh frying style, he knows it all inside out.

Will himself isn’t vegetarian but everything here is. That is what makes it different and with diets constantly changing and evolving in that direction, this site is poised to capitalise on the young, eco-conscious market.

On offer here are bowls — playing into the increasingly popular lunchtime option that is sweeping across the country. Inspired by similar street food he has found in London and Bristol, Chickpea offers fully customisable pitta bowls, salad bowls, hot stuff, and more. The items on the salad bar are ever-changing alongside the tagine and hot options and as the weeks and months pass the menu will adapt and adjust to the most popular and in-season items.

In terms of standouts for me, the tagine stole the show. The flavours were stunning and the aubergine brings the fibre with flavour. From the salad bar, the falafel are notably light and the tabbouleh is properly seasoned to ensure that it isn’t just the boring, easy accompaniment that many outlets make it.

The sauces also bring that unique authenticity squarely into the centre view. From the standard options (here made in-house) of hummus and guacamole, to the specialist lemon curds and chilli chutneys, every single one has a story and getting a taste of as many as possible in your bowl is highly recommended!

Coffee and sweet treats are of course on offer too. Make no mistake, there’s a story there as well. The beans for the coffee are sourced from a sustainable farm in Colombia that Will and his wife have visited and it is their continued business that gives the company the confidence to continue their imports to the UK. All cakes are sourced locally and the chocolate banana bread was good. If you have a gluten-free friend though, bring them especially for the orange polenta cake. It is beautifully moist in a way that so many gluten-free options neglect.

Better than all of this is the price point. Bowls start at £5.50 and the most you can pay for any single item is £7.50 (‘The Works’ is essentially unlimited additions and is £11). Cakes are all super cheap and the coffee is no different. Americanos are less than £2.50 and a matcha is even more striking at £2.80. (The matcha is, of course, a ceremonial grade and I’m told even rivalled the one from my last review at Maya’s ). Will is clear, where the margins are good, he sees no reason to overcharge the customer.

As far as slow food goes, this restaurant owner basically has the Oxford scene covered. Yet again he has scored a home run with Chickpea. The authenticity of flavours combines with his care and dedication to make it a no-brainer of a lunch and dinner option in central Oxford. Great value, good vibes, and stunning flavours. Quite frankly, what more could you want?

Image: Oliver Hall

In defense of Buckfast

Joey Ricciardiello
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In defense of Buckfast

A spectre is haunting Britain – the spectre of Buckfast. “Bucky”, ”fuckfast”, “commotion lotion” or “wreck-the-hoose juice” is a highly controversial, but unfairly maligned drink. Brewed in Buckfast abbey in Devon by one of the last remaining communities of Benedictine monks in the UK, Buckfast has inexplicably become the national drink of Scotland. North of Hadrian’s wall, Buckfast has taken off like nowhere else. There, it is invariably associated with Glaswegian hooligan ‘ned’ culture where it is enjoyed by anti-social violent youths like the protagonists from Trainspotting (if you look closely, bottles of Buckfast can be seen in the background of various scenes in the film, including Mother Superior’s heroin den – a ringing endorsement if nothing else.) 

Buckfast is a fortified tonic wine which although not particularly alcoholic, at only 15%, contains the same quantities of caffeine as roughly 5 cans of Coca Cola. It has become so associated with delinquency and violence that it has been the subject of numerous political crusades against binge drinking. In 2011, Scottish Labour MEP Catherine Stihler called for a European-wide ban on the fortified tonic wine, citing it “has caused untold misery to millions of communities”. Sheriff Alastair Brown of Dundee said in 2016: “There is in my professional experience a very definite association between Buckfast and violence,” while a Dunfermline man was told in the same year by a court judge at his assault trial – in possibly the biggest understatement in history – that drinking four bottles of Buckfast a day is “not conducive to a very long life”. According to the BBC, Buckfast was mentioned in 2500 Strathclyde police crime reports in 2011-12 where the defence “the Bucky made me do it” was a common utterance in magistrates courts.

It is unfair that the onus of British youth violence should fall solely on Buckfast, however, which seems like a rather lazy scapegoat against the institutional failings of Scottish politicians and the police to tackle crime. A very small minority of Buckfast’s customers need not tarnish the entire reputation of the drink, and I find that many Buckfast enthusiasts are among the most genial and agreeable folks out there. Indeed, if the issue lies, as its detractors claim, in the dangerous combination of alcohol and caffeine, where are the campaigns against Jäger Bombs, Cuba Libres, not to mention the Clockwork Orange-esque gang violence associated with drinkers of Espresso Martinis? It is rank hypocrisy and nothing else – another example of the dead hand of the nanny state interfering in the lives of punters and monks alike. Some of my best nights have been spent in the company of fellow bacchanals indulging in the monastic juice, and although the label states that Buckfast contains “no medicinal qualities”, I am inclined to disagree. The monastic origins of Buckfast imbue it with the qualities of a kind of secular transubstantiation. A bottle of Buckfast deep, even an atheist can find God.

The syrupy sweet notes of Buckfast are certainly an acquired taste, and it is hard to forget that what you’re drinking essentially tastes like concentrated grape juice with added ethanol, or as an American reviewer of the drink described it on Reddit, “like drinking liquefied methamphetamine through a dirty rag, whilst simultaneously on your knees under a bridge orally pleasing a vagrant”. But it is a flavour which, once you have become acquainted, cannot be shaken off. Like many drinks, Buckfast can be enjoyed in small doses – perhaps as an after-dinner apéritif or even as a substitution for communion wine – but like many drinks, it is best enjoyed in substantial quantities. The French author Emmanuel Carrère, in his biography of Russian political dissident Eduard Limonov wrote of an episode known as a “Zapoi”, which roughly translates to “binge”. However, the term also involves aspects of a total surrender to alcohol, where one puts their body through the greatest possible strain in order to reach some form of enlightenment, finding the meaning of the human condition. He writes: “Zapoi is serious business, not a one-night bender of the kind we partake in, the kind you pay for with a hangover the next day. Zapoi means going several days without sobering up, roaming from one place to another, getting on trains without knowing where they’re headed, telling your most intimate secrets to people you meet by chance, forgetting everything you’ve said and done: a sort of voyage.”

A ‘Bucky zapoi’ is a truly transcendent experience, and it can be achieved at the price of £7 a bottle from any number of vendors in Britain and beyond. When you push through the initial sickliness of the first few gulps, and find that the liquid in the bottle has reached below the iconic orange label, there is no turning back – the Zapoi has begun. In fact, finding enlightenment through this monastic elixir has become far easier in recent years. The app ‘Find Me Bucky’ available on the App Store and Google Play provides a useful map detailing the locations for all vendors who sell it [pictured below].

Though Edinburgh, Glasgow and London would be your best bets for finding a bottle of Bucky, Oxford is by no means deserted. One can pick up a bottle from at least two corner shops on St Clements, as well as the ubiquitous Deli on Cowley Road.

If your tastes are not suited to this, and you would scoff at the sight of a man on his 4th day of a Buckfast zapoi, then there are alternative ways to enjoy the beverage. There has been a string of trendy bars in cities like Glasgow and in some parts of East London which have incorporated Buckfast into more well-established food items, with one venue in Shoreditch selling Buckfast ice cream. Even closer for Oxford readers, The Library pub on Cowley Road actually sells a Buckfast Negroni on their menu, substituting red Vermouth for Buckfast which works surprisingly well, giving a sweet counterbalance to the bitterness of the gin and Campari. Though a negroni is ostensibly a sensible drink, enjoyed by Don Draper types who embody the notion of sprezzatura – a sophisticated, nonchalant, urbane excellence – the addition of Buckfast is a welcome take on this classic cocktail, which does just service to the original, whilst providing a unique tongue-in-cheek spin. 

The eighteenth-century French aristocrat and freethinking libertine, the Marquis de Sade, said that “in order to know virtue, we must first acquaint ourselves with vice,” and this is certainly true of the experience of indulging in Bucky. Though it’s an unhealthy and immoderate decision to consume an entire bottle of Buckfast in one evening, it is also a joyful, transcendent, life-affirming one which I shall continue to do until my last days. Floreat Buckfast.

Review: Better Yesterday

Catherine Scoon
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Review: Better Yesterday

Opening on a convincingly era-respecting late ‘70s set, the play ‘Better Yesterday’ begins with the troubled couple Sylvia & Harold, walking back into their minimalistic multi-functioning front-room following their evening show of ‘Macbeth’ together. The lighting is minimal and mellow, just like the set, but this brings across an ambience and intimacy suitable for such a play. Prop usage is impressive—especially the rifle which features later in the play—the viewer really gets a sense of the stereotypically idyllic home-setting for the era. But the first element that undoubtedly strikes the viewer beyond set, as the characters walk in, is their strangely ambiguous clothing. Whilst generally conforming to the garb of the times; something about Sylvia’s (Katie Peachey’s) shoes is peculiarly jarring. 

However, costumes and slightly dissonant footwear aside, the chemistry between the actors is undeniable—most especially during the few intimate scenes which take place. Whilst, perhaps, Murray Whitaker’s performance at times lacks the realistic depth one would imagine his character demands, his performance is generally convincing. Still, it has to be observed that there is something peculiarly wooden (or excessively performative) about his portrayal of Harold, for some parts—or perhaps this is intended (playing into the Olivier-esque performative aspect of his character). But, as the play winds on and Whitaker descends into Harold’s dwindling state of insanity the viewer must applaud his later performance. The reminiscing scene at the kitchen table in particular highlights Whitaker’s skill very effectively: the viewer must surely allow themselves to be impressed by that blank, emotionally distant stare into the audience as Harold recounts all the nitty gritty details of what he dislikes about his wife, Sylvia. Conversely, but equally titillating, Whitaker’s portrayals of various scenes from the Golden Age of Cinema (including his Bogart portrayal) are rather amusingly well done. These comical impressions, as well as frequent reference to contemporary events (such as Elvis’ death, and the hippie subculture) really help ground the play in its intended setting. The superb Katie Peachey playing Sylvia is truly dynamite. Her execution of the strong-willed, but inwardly troubled actress and wife in the spotlight is very commendable. From facial expressions to body language, to voice intonation—one can really believe her to be what she non-verbally claims: a love-lorn, searching and confused woman desperate to speak out, yet also to keep the silence on her turmoil.  

The viewer must assent that the director and playwright Anna Stephen does a fantastic job of blending various sensitive issues such as those of domestic violence, suicide, abortion, infidelity, drug-use alongside the jarringly jovial, light-hearted tone vaguely reminiscent of something like Victoria Wood. The play really does deserve the cute moniker ‘tragicomedy’, for this reason. Alongside this, Stephen must be praised for the clever way in which she uses Macbeth as a focal reference between the couple. The two plays seem to run on a dynamic parallel, wherein the viewer can make subtle links between the Lady Macbeth-esque characterisation of Sylvia; and the ultimately vulnerable, though outwardly hard-faced and standoffish characterisation of Harold (as a Macbeth parallel). The brilliant dynamic is just subtle enough not to be too brazen and obnoxious in the face of Better Yesterday—an asset which is never very easily attained in a play which covers such intense subject-matter in this style. The Macbeth dynamic also brings to mind a Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier-styled complex (who ironically both starred in an unfinished version of Macbeth) which does come through a lot within the characters of Sylvia and Harold. Credit ultimately has to be given to the actors , and to Stephen, for creating and bringing to life such a nuanced play and sustaining the plot despite there being only two characters.  

The most important takeaway of Better Yesterday though, is ultimately the idea of how the voyeuristic public eye can be damaging to a relationship. It is a tale of how such an intensely invigorating spark can often tighten like a vice, transforming into a suffocating hold, before unraveling into a descent of disorderly chaos and heartbreak. The turn of tables towards the end as Harold’s illness is revealed, and Sylvia’s infidelity is brought to light, is an unexpected touch to the play that the viewer may not have envisioned until the very last moment. Sequestered beneath this heavy-barrelled message, is all in all also the very simplistic (but exceptionally poignant) idea that sometimes in life, one finds that everything was ‘better yesterday’. Harold is the one to eventually use this titular phrase for the first time throughout the play, just before the lights go out on a touching but wistful scene of the couple entwined in an embrace.

Get Your Scream On: The best scares of 2022!

Rahul Jakati
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Get Your Scream On: The best scares of 2022!

It doesn’t have to be Halloween to enjoy a night in with your favourite scary movie, and this last year was a great one for horror fans! From homicidal robotic dolls to surreal nightmare dreamscapes, there’s something here for everyone. Whether it’s to share some scares for a date, have some fun and frights with friends, or even just corral a creep by yourself, here are some of the best horror movies from 2022.

  1. Bodies Bodies Bodies is hilarious. Everything about it screams Gen Z. A group of lovably insufferable teenagers get together to party during a hurricane. What could go wrong? Someone dies, fingers are pointed, and all hell breaks loose. It’s a horror movie manifestation of ‘Gaslight Gatekeep Girlboss’. This movie is a product of its time and knows it. The dialogue is razor sharp, teetering every so carefully between cringe and camp, and the actors hit every beat on the ‘angsty rich screenager’ bingo board. There’s also a feature song written for it by Charli XCX that absolutely slaps. What’s not to like?
  2. The Menu is a biting satire on elitism of all kinds—from the ivory tower of wealth to the snobbery of gastrophiles, nobody is spared (literally). Ralph Fiennes plays an haute chef who invites a smorgasbord of clientele from all walks of opulence to a dinner they’ll never forget. All except Anya Taylor Joy, who is a delight as the straight man in a movie that progressively gets more and more insane. It’s light on scares, and heavy on (black) comedy, but make no mistake—The Menu isn’t afraid to get bloody. This is the perfect movie to watch with friends and then argue about afterwards at your favorite restaurant.
  3. M3GAN is this generation’s attempt at a techno-Chucky. I am ignoring 2019’s Child Play because let’s face it, it wasn’t that good. In M3GAN, a tech inventor gifts her adopted niece a robot that can play parent—and killer. What makes M3GAN so great aren’t any profound literary themes to ponder over on your drive home, or terrifying scenes that give you nightmares; no, what makes M3GAN great is that it’s fun. It’s your standard popcorn fare infused with a certain sense of flare that lets you just sit back and enjoy yourself. Having a robotic doll do TikTok dances before killing someone gives M3GAN just the right amount of camp to let yourself curl up with your favorite people and enjoy.
  4. Bones and All is like Call Me By Your Name but with more than one cannibal. I joke, but director Luca Guadagnino knows exactly how to create an atmosphere of forbidden romance. The movie follows Maren Yearly, a reluctant cannibal who can’t help but gorge on human flesh. She forms an unlikely bond with Lee, a fellow cannibal played by Timothée Chalamet, and the audience follows their journey across the United States as they reckon with their monstrous nature and desire to exist all the same, all under the lens of familiar themes of loss, family, and poverty. Where the movie most shines, however, is in its visuals. More poignant exploration of the human condition than a movie designed to incite fear, the frames are infused with a sense of grainy macabre that gives a real humanity to these characters, even the truly monstrous Sully, played wonderfully by Mark Rylance.
  5. Prey is historical horror done right. It’s a movie about a humanoid alien hunter killing French trappers and Comanche warriors in the early 18th century, but there’s an adherence to historical accuracy that makes this movie a treat to watch. There’s a deep appreciation for native American culture in this movie, and a swath of destruction and mayhem that makes this a more than worthy creature feature. There’s an exploration of gender roles and coloniser relations that adds depth to this action-horror flick, and it’s more than worth a watch on the biggest screen you have available.
  6. Black Phone has heart. A kid gets abducted by the aptly named ‘Grabber’ and must use the titular device to talk to the ghosts of previous victims to help him escape. Throw in a psychic sister and you’ve got a King-esque romp that’s equal parts coming of age and horror thriller. There’s one scene involving the abuse of the main character’s sister that is especially disquieting. Ethan Hawke plays the villain all too well for a typecast protagonist, and the most horrifying moments are the ones that are all too real. The movie isn’t out to make you depressed however, as it’s a ‘feel-good’ horror movie if there ever was one, making this the perfect “scary movie” for a date night or night in with friends.
  7. X is about a group of young adults who go to a secluded farmhouse in Texas to film a porno, which is of course occupied by a couple of geriatric serial killers. It’s a loving homage to the age of slashers, to classics like Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Mia Goth is absolutely brilliant as both the lead protagonist and the villain, with Jenna Ortega (so hot right now) and Kid Cudi helping to round out a fantastic supporting cast. Director Ti West ratchets up the tension and renders some genuinely gruesome kills in this neo-slasher. A prequel film, Pearl, was also released in 2022, which is also great.
  8. Mad God creates the kind of surrealist dreamscapes that occupy your darkest nightmares. Shot in a herky-jerky stop-motion, this animated film makes full use of its medium to tell the story of a man (only referred to as the “Assassin”) and his journey into a dystopic hell where dying is the least of your problems. There is a pervading sense of dread in this movie, a constant feeling that things aren’t ever going to get better. The conjured world of suffering created by Phil Tippett is a brutal one, and watching it fills you with a sense of unease that lasts long after the 80 minute runtime.
  9. Smile is scary, full stop. The movie follows a therapist who uncovers a killer curse whose manifestation is, you guessed, a smile. If you want nothing else than a balls-to-the-walls-lights-out-blankets-covering-your-eyes type experience, then Smile fits your bill. And although the premise might seem rote, and to some extent it is, Smile actually manages to weave in themes of the trauma of burnout and depression that raise this just beyond your typical jumpscare-fest. But let’s be clear—this is a deeply dark, grim, and oppressive tale. It is a horror movie.

Soft & Quiet is a grim reminder that it’s often reality which is scariest of all. As a person of colour, it’s easy to feel nervous reading stories about hate crimes and prejudiced aggression. And Soft & Quiet gives voice to all those fears in a scarily topical movie about a group of white supremacist women whose views lead to a terrifying conclusion after a run-in with two Asian-American sisters. There’s a haunting intimacy to the camerawork that seems to erase the psychological intimacy often inherent in watching a movie. The climax is gut-wrenching and almost unwatchable just due to the corporeality of the events taking place. Soft & Quiet doesn’t take place in some alternate reality, some fantasy land like some of the other movies on this list. It’s in the world we live in right now, which makes every scene all the more terrifying.

My Favourite Childhood Book: Anne of Green Gables

Laura Brink
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My Favourite Childhood Book: Anne of Green Gables

My first encounter with Anne Shirley-Cuthbert took place more than a decade ago, as far away from the wintery charm of her native Canada as possible. We were also removed by more than a century since the writer Lucy Maud Montgomery first published her novel Anne of Green Gables in 1908. On the day of my encounter, it was a summer afternoon and my mother and I were passing time in the car, trapped inside with the thickening two o’clock South African heat, waiting for my sister to come out of school. As always, my mother reached for a book to read to me.

I like to indulge in the idea that the day my mother first cracked the spine of Anne of Green Gables marked the first step in my journey to studying literature at Oxford. The book enchanted me, awakening me to the power that fiction has to make readers feel seen. In the novel, Anne becomes embroiled in ‘scrapes’ so often that the plot is practically structured around whatever trouble she gets into next. I was just as awkward, loudly passionate, and prone to troublemaking as her, a parallel I found wonderful. The revelation of our similarities often made me giggle with delight, and, amazingly, my mother laughed at the exact same quotes. Reading together helped me realise that she also understood what it was like being a curious young person with more imagination than one knew what to do with; if she understood Anne that meant she understood me too. We started calling each other “kindred spirits”, just like Anne and her bosom friend Diana. 

Of course, I couldn’t relate to everything in the book. Anne of Green Gables follows an orphan girl and her life in the town of Avonlea on Prince Edward Island after being accidentally adopted by ageing siblings Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert. And here I was, not an accident as far as I’m aware, enjoying her story with my mother. But that’s the beauty of children’s literature: you remember what clicked into place for you.

Lesson learnt: books give you the vocabulary to voice feelings you never knew you had. That’s not to say that Anne of Green Gables is in any way didactic. On the contrary, Anne is prone to musings that exasperate her sensible guardian Marilla to no end, but she justifies herself by arguing that she may say something simply “because it sounds so nice and romantic, just as if I were a heroine in a book”. The fact that Anne is a heroine in a book was one of my first introductions to the writerly art of irony and how writers play with lines to make them both intellectually pleasing and also emotionally meaningful. In this case, the words freed me from the stifling responsibility of always having to be ‘mature’.

Anne is such an iconic figure in children’s literature that I’m sure many relate to my enjoyment of her character, especially following the release of the Netflix adaptation, Anne with an E (2017). The title references Anne’s love of romantic expression through words as she insists on spelling her name ‘Anne’ instead of ‘Ann’, which she argues “makes such a difference” aesthetically. The series illustrates its precocious protagonist’s imagination through beautiful visuals, and updates the original text to include a surprising degree of representation and nuance, because a series set in a community where the biggest cultural divide is between Methodists and Presbyterians just isn’t going to appeal in 2023. 

The book’s poetic language will, however, always be what draws me to Anne’s story. Her habit of excitedly reciting poetic ramblings and her shameless indulgence in fantasy justified my own childhood participation in them. Even now, when I open the curtains of my room in Oxford and see the majestic tree of Hayward Quad, Keble College, I think of Anne talking to the tree outside her bedroom window at Green Gables. I remember that so many people—19th century writers, fictional characters, even my mother back in South Africa—understand life the same way I do. Anne had ambitions of being a teacher when she grew up: I’m sure she would be delighted to know that I return to how she pictured Green Gables whenever I need a little help remembering why my literature degree matters.

Funding woes: Next year’s maintenance loan worth less

Maggie Wilcox
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Funding woes: Next year’s maintenance loan worth less

A new report from the Department of Education estimates that the 2023-24 maintenance loan increase will not be enough to restore students’ purchasing power.

The projected 2.8% increase is well below the level of inflation. In the February 2023 Equality Impact Assessment, the DofE states this will have an overall “negative impact” for undergraduate students, as the proposed loan is effectively less valuable than in previous years. A 13.7% increase in the loan would be required to maintain the value of maintenance loans and grants given in the 2020/21 academic year.

Although the maximum loan is the highest it is has ever been, at just under £10,000 (or £11,374 for students who are “entiteld to benefits”), this sum is in real terms worth £1,000 less than the loans of 2020/21. The DofE attributes this decrease in actual value to unforeseen record-high inflation, visible in metrics not used by the government to calculate the annual maintenance loan increase. The projected loan is determined the November before the academic year according to the Retail Price Index (RPI), not the commonly-used Consumer Purchasing Index (CPI).

Most English undergraduate students receive some level of maintenance funding, and 41% received the maximum loan last academic year. University-specific financial aid and scholarships often supplement these as well. At Oxford, it is estimated that one in four UK undergraduate students receive some form of non-repayable bursary. Individual colleges also have financial assistance schemes for students in difficulty, although these vary.

Oxford “recognises that the rising cost of living is a source of anxiety for many students and [is] continuing our efforts to ensure our financial support addresses this.” The Crankstart scholarship for low-income students, which offers financial support as well as mentorship and career opportunities, received a £500 pound uplift this year. Graduate students also saw their stipends rise along the lines of inflation with a 13% increase. 

The DofE concludes that the 2.8% loan increase will adversely affect low-income students in particular and students are likely to experience a “further erosion in purchasing power”.

Palestine supporters protest as Union host Israeli ambassador

Maggie Wilcox, Suzanne Antelme and Fatima El-Faki
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Palestine supporters protest as Union host Israeli ambassador

Pro-Palestine protesters gathered outside the Oxford Union tonight as the Union hosted the Israeli Ambassador to the UK for the second time in a year.

The protest, organised by the Oxford Students Palestinian Society, with support from various other student groups including the Oxford Socialist Worker Student Society and Oxford Arab Society, swelled to over a hundred students by 8pm. Non-student organisations like the Socialist Worker newspaper were also present and handing out flyers.

Members inside the chamber could hear the crowd chanting outside as the panel on the controversial Abraham Accords began, featuring Israeli ambassador Tzipi Hotovely and her counterparts from Bahrain and the UAE. 

The Abraham Accords are a series of agreements signed in 2020 with the intention of normalising relations between Israel and the Gulf states in the midst of increasing Israeli-Palestinian tension. The UN marked 2022 as the “deadliest year” for the occupied West Bank with 152 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces.

Ms. Hotovely had previously spoken at the Union in TT22 and faced similar protests. Some Oxford students outside of the Union tonight cited an alleged lack of fair and critical questioning during the Israeli ambassador’s last appearance as reasons for them coming to protest tonight.

A no-confidence petition has been posted against Union President Charlie Mackintosh for inviting the Israeli ambassador back with short notice, with Hamzah Mahomed, the motion’s proposer claiming that at her last visit: “Israeli security conspired to harass members of colour and pro-Palestinian members”. The organisers of tonight’s protest mentioned this motion in front of the crowd and encouraged all Union members to sign it. Protesters outside were heard singing: “Charlie, Charlie, you can’t hide, you’re supporting apartheid.” 

A 2nd year Palestinian student who is a member of the Union voted in support for the petition as she stated she wouldn’t “support the Union who claims freedom of speech whilst not providing a platform for the Palestinians”.

During the event, a handful of pro-Palestinian protesters were escorted out of the chamber after shouting that Palestinians aren’t terrorists, and chanting. After they left, the Israeli ambassador praised this display of free speech, which led to applause within the chamber.

The crowd shouted “shame” at anyone who tried to enter the Union gates. Continued chants of “1,2,3,4 occupation no more! 5,6,7,8 Israel is a terrorist state”, “there is only one solution: the Intifada revolution!” and “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” continued into the evening. The American Jewish Council has said that, while advocating for Palestinian statehood is not antisemitic, this slogan, “calling for the elimination of the Jewish state, or suggesting that the Jews alone do not have the right to self-determination, is antisemitic”.

There was a brief moment of silence, shortly before the Union event started, to commemorate Palestinian victims of violence in the occupied territories. The 11 Palestinians who were killed in an Israeli raid on Nablus recently were named before a minute of silence commemorated them as a drone flew overhead the protesters. 

There was a strong security presence at the Union event and the protest, with mounted police at the end of the street and a tight controlled perimeter around the Union. Members of the public had to prove residence on St Michael’s Street or Union membership in order to get through. Access to the Union was cut off entirely at 8pm, and inside the Union Ms Hotovely was accompanied by private security officials. A Cherwell reporter from the protest witnessed a young man carrying a Palestinian flag attempting to enter but was escorted away by police.

Image credit: Henry Yates


When asked for comment, the Oxford Union said: “This is a panel discussion among high level representatives of the three signatories of the Abraham Accords, not an invitation specifically to the Israeli Ambassador.”

Operation Pangolin: the quest to save the world’s most trafficked mammal

Charlotte Lai
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Operation Pangolin: the quest to save the world’s most trafficked mammal

The University of Oxford has announced that it is joining Operation Pangolin – a bold initiative to save the world’s most trafficked animal. With pangolins being the world’s most trafficked wild mammal, tackling the illegal trade is an urgent conservation priority.

Dr. Dan Challender, an interdisciplinary conservation scientist based in the University of Oxford’s Department of Biology and the Oxford Martin School, has said: “in the last decade pangolin populations in Central Africa have been under increasing pressure from offtake for local use and international trafficking of their scales.”

Pangolins (also called scaly anteaters) are extraordinary and unique animals. The word ‘pangolin’ comes from ‘penggulung’, the Malay word for roller, referring to their defensive mechanism of rolling up when they feel threatened. They feed on ants and termites with their long, sticky tongues, and they are the world’s only true scaly mammal.

Unfortunately, whilst their scales are an effective defense against predators, they are powerless against poachers, who often remove them directly from their burrows or set up snare traps. Pangolin meat and scales are highly prized by consumers for use in traditional medicine. Due to the ubiquity of the illegal pangolin trade, their numbers have dwindled significantly, and all eight species are now threatened with extinction. Operation Pangolin aims to remedy this by developing pangolin-specific monitoring methods and interventions to prevent the illegal trafficking of the species to further conservation initiatives.

Pangolins have been sustainably harvested throughout history for their scales and their meat. However, they have been significantly overexploited in recent decades, with over a million pangolins illegally taken from the wild to feed demand in China and Vietnam alone. Despite national and international legal protections afforded to the species, there is likely a large proportion of the illegal trade of their scales and meat that has gone undetected. Since 2014, the number of trafficked pangolins seized globally has seen an estimated tenfold increase, and their source has shifted from Asia to West and Central Africa. Researchers estimate that as many as 8.5 million pangolins were removed from the wild in Africa between 2014 and 2021.

When asked about what the greatest threat facing pangolin populations is, Dr. Challender answered that pangolins face two main threats: overexploitation and habitat loss. “Overexploitation is in my opinion the most severe. This has resulted in population decline in Asian pangolins in recent decades and overexploitation of the tropical African pangolins is placing them under greater pressure.”

Operation Pangolin aims to generate data to inform conservation strategies in Central Africa. The research team will work in conjunction with local conservation stakeholders, including indigenous peoples, local communities, wildlife crime authorities, and government agencies, to strengthen protections for pangolins. The project has four main priorities. They will monitori pangolin populations with newly developed technologies and develop sustainable conservation solutions with deep understanding of the social and ecological networks through which pangolins are harvested. The project also aims to use insights from conservation criminology to prevent the illegal harvesting and trafficking of pangolins, as well as machine learning and artificial intelligence to prevent wildlife crime involving pangolins by uniting data streams and creating predictions.

The University of Oxford has pledged to focus on the social component of the project. This work will be led by Dr. Dan Challender. He has been involved in pangolin research and conservation for 15 years. In 2012, Dr. Challender re-formed the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission Pangolin Specialist Group and served as Chair until 2021.

About the project, he says: “this project has the potential to transform pangolin conservation, first in key locations in Central Africa, and then extending into parts of Asia. By taking an interdisciplinary approach and using novel technology and artificial intelligence methods, the project will give pangolin populations in these regions the best chance of survival.”

Led by Dr. Challender, the Oxford team will conduct research in key areas in Cameroon to understand the ways in which pangolins are caught and trafficked. They will work with key ecological stakeholders to identify the conditions that facilitate the illegal pangolin trade. This information will then be used to create context-specific conservation strategies with local groups (including indigenous peoples and local communities) to ensure that any future trade of pangolins is legal and sustainable. Devising interventions (eg. ensuring the appropriate rights, rules, and incentives) at sites where pangolins occur so that they are not overexploited, and so their habitat is not destroyed are “critical” according to Dr. Challender.

Dr. Challender has further identified education as an important component of conservation initiatives. He underscores that: “education can be used to inform people of the existence of pangolins and the need to conserve them.” He is optimistic about the future of pangolin conservation due to the amount of attention and investment it has received since 2010.

The University of Oxford will work alongside specialists from Florida International University, the University of Maryland, the University of Southern California, and the Arribada Initiative. They are supported by the Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux (Gabon’s national parks agency) to lead research and conservation efforts in Gabon, and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) to lead efforts in Cameroon. This cross-border effort is further supported by the IUCN Pangolin Specialist Group, which forms a global network of 189 pangolin specialists.

The progress of the project can be tracked on Twitter on #OperationPangolin, and on the Operation Pangolin website.

BREAKING: No confidence vote proposed against Union president Charlie Mackintosh

Maggie Wilcox
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BREAKING: No confidence vote proposed against Union president Charlie Mackintosh

Three members of the Oxford Union have brought a no-confidence motion against President Charlie Mackintosh, and a vote will be triggered if the required 150 signatures are received.

They claim the president has demonstrated “gross misconduct and a shameful capitalisation of his office” in inviting Tzipi Hotovely back to the Union this evening, to participate in a panel discussion about the Abraham Accords. 

In their motion posting, the members allege that Israeli security “conspired to intimidate and harass members of colour and pro-Palestinian members” when Hotovely attended the Union in Trinity term. They also state that Mackintosh did not adequately question Hotovely about the killing of Shireen Aby Akleh,despite media conclusions of Israeli responsibility. Twenty minutes of audience questions were also allowed.

In light of this, and the Union’s action in inviting Hotovely back less than a year later during Mackintosh’s term as President has led to the calling of the vote.

A lack of sufficient notice of the events which “typify the double standards between Palestinian and Israeli ambassadors” are also cited by the writers as reasons for the motion. The writers concluded their motion by stating that the President has “deliberately conspired with foreign agents to promote the interests of an apartheid state”.

As yet, it is unspecified if and when the motion of no confidence will be brought before the house. The panel on the Abraham Accords will take place tonight at 8pm.

This story will be updated to reflect ongoing developments.

Union announces extra speaker events for Hilary Term

Cherwell News and Investigations Section Editors
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Union announces extra speaker events for Hilary Term

The Oxford Union has announced several extra speaker events which will be taking place in the rest of Hilary Term, though not previously listed on the termcard.

These events include talks from the former Prime Minister John Major, the Crown Prince of Iran Reza Pahlavi, the Ukrainian Ambassador to the UK, Vadym Prystaiko, and Baroness Rogers of Riverside.

A panel discussion on the Abraham Accords will also be taking place today at 8pm, where the UK ambassadors to Israel, Bahrain, and the UAE will be speaking. This is expected to draw considerable attention in the form of protests, with the Union stating that there will be “enhanced security”.

The Union’s Bicentenary event will take place tomorrow, featuring Michael Gove MP and Amanda Pritchard.

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