British police detained approximately twelve Oxford University students and had altercations with some of them during a pro-Palestinian sit-in at the university on Thursday, according to the demonstrators themselves.
The Oxford Action for Palestine group (OA4P) reported that the university authorities called the police when students initiated their protest at the administration offices, aligning with similar occurrences on campuses in the UK, the US, and other locations amid the Gaza conflict.
Thames Valley police acknowledged the incident and stated that they would provide details at a later time. The university did not issue an immediate statement regarding Thursday's events, although it had previously emphasized its support for the right to peaceful protests as a form of freedom of expression.
Footage shared by OA4P on social media depicted confrontations between law enforcement and students who were seated on the road, obstructing a police van reportedly transporting detainees, as the demonstrators demanded their release.
The protesters had been advocating for the university to disassociate from companies linked to Israel, which is engaged in a conflict with the Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The group stated, 'It is apparent that rather than addressing its complicity in Israel’s actions in Gaza, the administration would prefer to arrest, silence, and physically harm its own students.'
Oxford politics student Kendall Gardner, present at the scene, relayed that the police forcibly removed students. She informed Reuters, 'We have been met with severe violence and aggression.'
