Oxford University threatens legal action over pro-Gaza protests

The British University of Oxford has threatened legal action against pro-Palestinian protesters who have set up a camp at the site.

The university said the camp, located around the Radcliffe Camera, must be cleared by July 7.

The protesters set up the camp to demand a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and demanded that the university cut all financial ties with Israel and ensure transparency regarding its investment policies.

In an open letter to Oxford Action for Palestine, the university said it was aware of the “importance of peaceful protest” and also felt “deep concern” about the situation between Israel and Gaza. However, the camps and the violent incursions into certain areas were “completely unacceptable”.

“The University hereby gives notice that it intends to close the encampment surrounding the Radcliffe Camera. You are directed to dismantle the encampments and vacate the premises as per the attached notice,” the letter continues.

The letter calls on protesters to leave the area and says that if the camps are not dismantled by midnight on July 7, the university will seek an eviction order from the courts.

Oxford Action for Palestine has been urging the university for weeks to disclose and sever all ties with Israel. The organization is also calling on the university to help rebuild the destroyed educational facilities in the besieged enclave.

Other camps, including one outside Oxford’s Natural History Museum, have already been cleared and the university has cordoned off the site. Over the past month, more camps have been set up at universities across the UK, including the University of Cambridge and the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London.

Protesters accused the university of suppressing their voices.

“During this fencing, OA4P members were threatened with disciplinary action and had their access to toilet facilities restricted. Now the university is turning its attention to our liberated zone at the Radcliffe Camera,” the group said in a statement.

The camp at Oxford University comes amid Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza, which has left at least 37,834 Palestinians dead and 86,858 injured since October.