Seventeen protestors arrested over University of Oxford Gaza protest

Seventeen individuals were taken into custody following a demonstration by a pro-Palestinian group at the University of Oxford. The group, identified as Oxford Action for Palestine (OA4P), conducted a protest on 23 May to request a meeting concerning the Israel-Gaza conflict policies. Initially, sixteen people were apprehended on suspicion of aggravated trespass, and they were subsequently re-arrested on suspicion of affray. All of them have been granted bail. The 17th person was also detained on suspicion of the same offenses. Thames Valley Police reported that there were other demonstrators in the vicinity of Wellington Square, but they were peaceful and no arrests were made. A representative of OX4P stated that the students had organized a peaceful sit-in to press the university for a meeting after not receiving a response for two weeks. They insisted on immediate negotiations with the administration. The university conveyed that the temporary occupation of the building had caused significant distress to the staff. They also mentioned that the actions of some protesters had created an intimidating environment for many members of the community, including Jewish students and staff, as well as local Jewish community members.