Oxford students call on University to drop case against student protesters

Students, faculty and alumni held a protest on Tuesday to demand the University of Oxford drops disciplinary hearings against 13 student protesters who were arrested at a sit-in of the vice-chancellor's office more than a year ago.

In a statement, Oxford Action for Palestine (OA4P) described the disciplinary process against the activists as being "protracted and opaque", lasting over 10 months after a police investigation was dropped. It added that it has been based on "probably false accusations against protesters for 'violent' and 'threatening' behaviour despite CCTV evidence to the contrary".

The group added that activists' arrests were "marked by unprecedented levels of police brutality" and that university employees have "utilised racist, anti-Palestinian language, suggesting that the keffiyeh, a symbol of Palestinian liberation, is synonymous with terrorism".