To take our eyes off of Gaza would be an abdication of our responsibility
The Oxford Action For Palestine (OA4P) is a student-led collective who are 'dedicated to the liberation of Palestine' and call their university to 'divest from and boycott Israel’s criminal regime'. This protest comes after the establishment of a 3-stage ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, however, the OA4P states that, 'To take our eyes off of Gaza now would be an abdication of our responsibility to the struggle for Palestinian liberation.'
Jarrar is the leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and was one of the prisoners released by Israeli authorities earlier in the week as per the terms of the ceasefire agreement.
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine is recognised as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the EU and the US.
The building is part of the university’s Bodleian libraries who responded to the action on X with a post stating, 'we are working with the University and the emergency services to engage with the occupiers and resolve the situation safely. We sincerely apologise for the disruption and thank you for your patience.'
The OA4P have been engaging in protests on campus since the onset of the conflict including setting up an encampment on campus in May and June of last year that was ultimately dismantled by the university.
The protest was later shut down by police forces who resorted to scaling down the building to reach the protestors and arrest them. Around 16 of the protestors were said to have been arrested.
"This action plainly goes beyond the bounds of acceptable protest"
In response to these actions, the University of Oxford made a statement saying that 'while the University supports the right to peaceful protest, this action plainly goes beyond the bounds of acceptable protest and is a clear risk to the safety of protestors, students, staff and members of the public.'
Oxford University have since posted on their website, “We express our profound sympathy for those currently suffering in Israel, Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon”, adding that, 'the University’s focus at times of crisis is on supporting staff and student welfare and the pursuit of our academic mission.'