Students at 3 universities in UK set up encampments for Gaza

Students at Oxford, Cambridge and Edinburgh universities in the UK have set up encampments in solidarity with Gaza, joining a wave of action by other university campuses across the Western world.

Students at the University of Edinburgh have set up an encampment at its Old College campus, calling on everyone to join their action.

"We have taken over Old College to demand divestment and an end to the colonial legacy of Lord Arthur Balfour, the previous chancellor at the University of Edinburgh," the Edinburgh University Justice for Palestine Society said on X.

Taking similar action, the Cambridge for Palestine group said they demand that the University of Cambridge discloses and terminates all relationships with any organization "abetting the genocide in Gaza."

"As students of the university of Balfour, who initiated the UK's support for the colonial Zionist project, and of the vast majority of the prime ministers who have since continued it, we feel a particular obligation to stand with Palestinians in ending this historic injustice," the group wrote on X.

Students at the University of Oxford have set up an encampment, calling it a "Liberated Zone," at Oxford's Pitt Rivers Museum in solidarity with Gaza.

The group, Oxford Action for Palestine (OA4P), said they decided to set it up at the "infamous" museum, which contains a "disturbing hoard of artefacts stolen from colonized peoples across the world."

"We join over 145 universities across the globe who refuse to continue business as usual while our institutions profit from and facilitate genocide," the group said in a statement.

They vowed to continue to follow the lead of the people of Palestine and will "continue to take action until our demands are met."

The group also noted that they will hold a vigil in solidarity with the people of Gaza tonight at 6 p.m. (1700GMT) with the attendance of Oxford health care workers to demand Palestinian liberation and accountability for Israel's targeted destruction of Gaza's health care sector.