Oxford students and trades unions take part in ‘Day of Solidarity with Palestinians’

The city of Oxford on Wednesday witnessed various protests and activities organised by trade unions and students, in a day of action against the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza.

In addition to a mass march scheduled for 5pm, trades unions, including teachers, academics, healthcare workers and journalists from across Oxford, gathered outside the Radcliffe Camera at 1pm local time for a vigil to mourn the deaths in Gaza and call for an immediate ceasefire.

“We’re here today to remember the 116 journalists and media workers who’ve been killed so far in Gaza since this war started,” said Anna Wagstaff, secretary of the Oxford branch of the National Union of Journalists.

“We think Palestinian journalists in Gaza are the only ones who are bringing out the story now about the desperate death and destruction happening to that community,” she told Middle East Eye. 

“We’re here to remember those journalists, but we’re also here to stand in solidarity with journalists who have gone through four months of utter hell but are still finding the energy to carry on reporting under conditions I don’t think any journalist over here can even imagine.”

Wednesday 7 February is the national workplace day of action to stand with Gaza, called for by the Stop the War coalition.

Dr Teige Matthews-Palmer, a research scientist at Oxford University and committee officer of the University and College Union's Oxford University branch, said his union recently passed a motion of solidarity with the Palestinian people.

“Education is a pillar of Palestinian culture with a high number of PhD educated citizens," he said.

"As academics and workers at the University of Oxford, we condemn the deliberate destruction of all of Gaza’s universities, including its brand new and only university hospital at Al-Israa - this is erasure of Palestinian culture and intellectual life."

"Our union is the democratic voice of the University of Oxford's scholars, research scientists and professional services staff, and we share this message with Oxford and the world: the UK must immediately halt arms export and reverse the defunding of Unrwa, and Israel must immediately comply with the ICJ's binding interim order to cease killing, punish incitement to genocide, and enable urgent humanitarian aid."