Students from the University of Cambridge have taken to shouting the genocidal slogan ‘From the river to the sea’ and inciting an ‘intifada’ at their encampment outside King’s College. The Mailhas the story.
The pro-Palestinian demonstration is being mirrored outside the Pitts Rivers museum in Oxford despite fears from Jewish students that the encampments will fuel a fresh wave of antisemitic attacks.
In Cambridge, students have been seen marching through the city to the Old Schools University Offices while chanting “Israel is a terrorist state” whilst the Oxford demonstration has a more muted, authoritarian flavour.
Media covering the event in the city have been mobbed and abused by demonstrators whilst attendees to the encampment have been told they must be “committed to upholding the Thawabit” in order to join in.
Dozens of masked campaigners spent the night sleeping in tents outside the universities and have a packed day planned featuring marches, speeches and ‘apartheid workshops’.
Following their march through the city, Cambridge demonstrators lounged on the lawn and tucked into a lunch of pesto pasta and focaccia bread.
In Coventry, a copycat protest to those at Oxbridge has struck up in protest of the University of Warwick’s ties with arms manufactures.
The sit-in rallies, which echo protests seen in the U.S. which later saw violent students clashing with police, have sprung up at other U.K. universities including Manchester, Leeds, Bristol, Sheffield and Newcastle over the last week.
In a statement, the President of the Oxford Jewish Society said: “Since the attacks in Israel on October 7th, Jewish students across Oxford are facing a wave of intimidation and harassment.
“This includes protest chants and signs which violate the University’s commitment to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliances’ definition of antisemitism.
“Now, with the encampment seeking to mimic what has been seen across United States campuses, we are deeply concerned that there will be further escalation in the vilification of Jewish students in Oxford.”
The concern was echoed by Jewish students in Cambridge. where 60 tents have been pitched up. …
In a shocking outburst, one protestor is seen ripping the flag from him and tossing it to the ground as the lone Jewish student was pushed and jostled by other activists.
Mr. Vladimir told MailOnline: “I had to come here to express my support for Israel. If these people have a right to protest then so do I.
“As you saw, I didn’t feel particularly welcome. I was pushed and shoved and felt quite scared.
“But I wanted these people to know that the Jewish people will never be defeated and we stand with Israel.”
Mr. Vladimir is a first year history student at Christ’s College who comes from New York.
He said he was alone because many of his fellow Jewish students feel “intimidated”, and were too scared to join him.
“A lot of Jewish students on campus feel quite scared,” he added. “They are just keeping their heads down. But I had to take a stand.
“This encampment is going to make Jewish students even more concerned. How would you feel walking past people who are supporting Hamas?” …
No police were present at the encampment or rally, something Ari thinks would have “made him feel safer” and given more protection to counter protestors.
Ari added: “I have to walk through here all the time. I’m still recognisably Jewish and I would not feel safe.”
Stop Press: In the Telegraph, Michael Deacon points out the brazen hypocrisy of the non-Palestinian student protesters wearing the keffiyeh. Isn’t ‘cultural appropriation’ supposed to be racist?
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