By Gavin Mackintosh-
There is tension between students and authorities at Oxford University, after a number of them aligned with Oxford Action for Palestine (OA4P) staged a dramatic “die-in” protest outside the Sheldonian Theatre during a graduation ceremony, accused security guards of “unacceptable harassment” and highlighting the university’s failure to address their complaints.
A group of students are calling for the security guard to be fired, as a result of the allegation.
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But university chiefs do not believe the security guard has done anything wrong.
The Eye Of Media.Com has heard that authorities in the university and none participating students are furious with the protesters, and consider them an embarrassment to the university.
The students, dressed in academic robes and soaked in fake blood, protested to draw attention to their cause and urge the university administration to commence negotiations with the Gaza encampment.
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This secondary camp, located in front of the Radcliffe Camera, follows the initial camp established on May 6 outside the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, referred to by the protesters as Pitt Rivers.
The protest began outside the Sheldonian Theatre and then moved to the Radcliffe Camera, where the demonstrators displayed a banner reading “OUR TUITION FEES = BLOOD MONEY” from a library window.
Videos and images posted on X (formerly Twitter) by OA4P showed a security guard allegedly kicking students during the protest.
In one video, a student filming the die-in confronts the guard, saying, “you just kicked a student.” The guard replies affirmatively, adding, “yes, so did somebody else trying to get through.”
Defending his actions his actions, he says, ‘Yes, yes, so did somebody else trying to get through.’
‘They are in the way. You see he is laying in the way when I’m trying to walk.’.
Another video shows the same guard apparently kicking students’ legs and attempting to close a door on them.
Footage shows guard stepping over protesters
OA4P released a statement condemning the university administration for ignoring what they described as “rapidly-growing campus-wide support” for their encampment and its demands. They accused university security of harassing the peaceful protesters.
“During the die-in, university security harassed students who lay still on the ground in front of the Sheldonian,” the statement read. “In two instances, security kicked students and shut doors on their heads – both of which were caught on camera.
Despite this unacceptable harassment, the action proceeded without violent escalation.”
The protest outside the Sheldonian Theatre and Bodleian Library on Saturday comes after Oxford University released a statement that the group described as ‘long and so incredibly empty.’
The university administration has been criticized for its slow and ineffective response to the protesters’ complaints.
Despite repeated attempts by OA4P to engage with the administration, they claim that there has been a refusal to initiate any meaningful dialogue or address the grievances raised by the student body.
The university has stressed the right to peaceful protests said it does not accept intolerance, but is yet to address the situation and explain why it is not engaging with the aggrieved parties.
Oxford University’s primary focus is the health and safety of the university community, and to ensure any impact on work, research, and learning, including student exams, is minimized.
As the situation develops, the administration’s response to these serious allegations will be closely monitored.
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