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".
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Middle East Eye
2 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
Israel says it recovered bodies of three captives, including soldier, from Gaza
The Israeli military said on Saturday it had recovered the bodies of two Israeli civilians and a soldier during an operation in the Gaza Strip. According to Israeli estimates, 50 captives are still being held by Palestinian groups in Gaza, with at least 20 believed to be alive.
Gulf Today
6 hours ago
- Gulf Today
Orban's anti-Ukraine campaign targets political rival
As Hungary heads toward national elections next spring and the populist government's popularity slumps, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has zeroed in on a central theme he hopes will sway voters: an alleged threat posed by neighboring Ukraine. While most European Union countries have offered political, financial, and military support to Kyiv since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, Hungary under Orbán has charted a starkly different course — refusing to supply Ukraine with weapons or allow their transit through Hungarian territory, demanding sanctions relief and rapprochement with Russia, and adopting a combative stance toward both Kyiv and its EU backers. With his ruling Fidesz party slipping in the polls and a new opposition force gaining momentum, Orbán has escalated a sweeping anti-Ukraine campaign — presenting the upcoming election as a referendum on peace or war. Going further, he has accused his leading political opponent of entering into a treasonous pact with Kyiv to overthrow his government and install a pro-Western, pro-Ukraine administration. Some of his ideas mirror the growing anti-Ukraine messaging coming from right-wing populists in the West, including from President Donald Trump. 'Let's be under no illusions: Brussels and Ukraine are jointly building up a puppet government (in Hungary),' Orbán said on June 6 in comments to state radio. 'They want to change Hungary's policy toward Ukraine after the next elections, or even sooner.' At the heart of Orbán's claims is Ukraine's ambition to join the EU, something Kyiv believes would place it firmly within the embrace of the West and provide a measure of security against potential Russian attacks in the future. While Orbán was a firm supporter of Ukraine's eventual EU accession shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion, he now argues that its membership — which will likely take many years — would flood Hungary with crime, cheap labor, and low-quality agricultural products, threatening national sovereignty and economic stability. He has also spuriously claimed that Brussels and Kyiv intend to force Hungarians to fight Russia on the front lines. On Monday, Orbán posted a video to his social media page depicting animated, artificial intelligence-generated scenes of bloodied, machine-gun wielding Hungarian soldiers engaged in armed conflict, and rows of caskets lined beneath Hungarian flags. 'We don't want our children, in the form of the Hungarian army, to be deployed to the Ukrainian front lines or to Ukrainian territory and to come back in coffins,' he said in the video. Central to Orbán's life-or-death narrative of the Hungarian election is his growing campaign against his main political rival, Péter Magyar, a former Fidesz insider whose new Tisza party has surged in popularity. Once married to Hungary's former justice minister, Magyar has become the most formidable challenger to Orbán's rule since the EU's longest-serving leader took office in 2010. With Tisza leading Fidesz in most independent polls, some analysts and domestic critics believe Orbán may be laying the groundwork to discredit or even disqualify Magyar ahead of the 2026 election. Péter Krekó, director of the Budapest-based Political Capital think tank, said Orbán's attempt to link Magyar and Tisza to the image of a dangerous Ukraine is aimed at neutralizing his domestic opposition as popular sentiment appears to be turning against him. 'There is an ongoing campaign against any critical voices in Hungary saying that they are agents of Ukraine, and this can be used also against the Tisza party,' he said. 'If you can't win back public opinion anymore, then you can try to use a more authoritarian toolkit.'
Sharjah 24
14 hours ago
- Sharjah 24
Attack on Iran violates international law: GCC Secretary-General
In his address at the 51st session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which began today in Istanbul, Al Budaiwi reiterated the GCC's call for a return to diplomacy. He stressed the importance of exercising restraint and maintaining open diplomatic channels, viewing them as the only viable path to avoid a wider regional escalation. Al Budaiwi praised Oman's positive mediation role in promoting US-Iran negotiations and urged all parties to prioritise wisdom and diplomacy, warning against the risks of a confrontation that could extend beyond regional borders. Regarding developments in the occupied Palestinian territories, Al Budaiwi reaffirmed the GCC's unwavering support for the Palestinian people in Gaza and called for an end to their suffering. He emphasised the need to lift the blockade on the Gaza Strip, open all crossings to allow the entry of humanitarian aid and essential supplies, and ensure their continuous delivery to the population. He also underscored the urgent need for international protection for the Palestinian people and called for an end to the targeting of civilians, urging full compliance with international law, international humanitarian law and relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions without exception. On another note, Al Budaiwi reiterated the GCC's support for joint Islamic action efforts led by the OIC since its founding. He noted that the Council's support is especially evident in key issues of priority for the Islamic world. He highlighted the political support provided by the GCC during emergency Islamic summits and its contributions to reconstruction efforts in affected areas, as well as defending the rights of Muslim communities in international forums in line with the principle of Islamic solidarity. Al Budaiwi added that the GCC has played a central role in combating Islamophobia and countering campaigns aimed at distorting the image of Islam, by backing the OIC's initiatives at the United Nations and adopting landmark resolutions that promote coexistence and mutual respect. He noted that GCC countries play an active role in political mediation and conflict resolution within the Islamic world, including support for dialogue between disputing parties and facilitating international consensus on sensitive issues through effective diplomatic channels.
