By Gavin Mackintosh-
Students at prestigious universities in the UK have initiated pro-Palestinian encampments and protests on their campuses.
The activism, which began outside King’s College in Cambridge and the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford, has drawn attention to the Israeli military operation in Gaza and the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Videos posted to social media show rows of tents on campus lawns and banners that read: “Welcome to the people’s university for Palestine.”
Tents were erected outside the University of Oxford’s Pitt Rivers Museum and on the lawn of King’s College at the University of Cambridge on Monday morning.
Similar protests have emerged in cities across the UK, including Manchester, Newcastle, Bristol, and Leeds, with students gathering to express solidarity with Palestinians affected by the conflict.
The movement has spread from the US, where thousands of university students were arrested after clashes with police.
A group called Cambridge for Palestine said on Monday it was calling for the university to disclose and divest “from its financial and professional support” of the war in Gaza.
Organisers of the group posted a video on X, formerly Twitter, of their members marching onto the lawn with tents, camping packs and sleeping bags, saying they “refuse to sit idly by”.
The university emphasized its commitment to the safety and well-being of its students and staff while condemning intolerance. Meanwhile, the Museum of Natural History and the Pitt Rivers Museum remained open despite the protests.
At the University of Cambridge, pro-Palestinian students disrupted open days, warning prospective undergraduates and their families about the implications of supporting institutions like Trinity College, which they accused of complicity in Israel’s actions in Gaza.
In response to the demonstrations, the University of Cambridge reiterated its commitment to academic freedom and freedom of speech within the law.
The university condemned antisemitism, Islamophobia, and any other form of racial or religious hatred, emphasizing its priority of ensuring the safety of all staff and students.
The protests in the UK are part of a broader international movement calling for divestment from Israel and expressing solidarity with Palestinians. Similar actions have been witnessed in the US, France, Ireland, and Finland, indicating widespread global concern and activism regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The recent activism shows the growing momentum of pro-Palestinian voices on university campuses, as students mobilize to raise awareness, demand accountability, and advocate for change in response to the ongoing crisis in Gaza and the broader issues of occupation and human rights violations in the Palestinian territories.
A University of Cambridge spokesperson said: “The University is fully committed to academic freedom and freedom of speech within the law and we acknowledge the right to protest. We ask everyone in our community to treat each other with understanding and empathy. Our priority is the safety of all staff and students.
The University of Oxford released a statement acknowledging the ongoing demonstration by members of its community and affirming its respect for freedom of expression through peaceful protests.