Oxford University said it blocked access to a Pro-Palestine encampment to protect its property and for 'public safety'.

Dozens of tents were erected across the lawn in front of the Pitt Rivers Museum last month in protest of Oxford University's stance on the war in Gaza. 

Students in the Oxford Action for Palestine group are demanding the University cease financial support for Israel, and support the Palestinian-led rebuilding of education in Gaza. 

A fence and sign were put  up at 7am on Sunday (Image: Oxford Action 4 Palestine)

This morning at about 7am the university erected metal fences around the encampment (June 23).

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A sign was put up which read: “This site is temporarily closed on public safety grounds and to prevent further damage to university property. Unauthorised access is prohibited.”

A second sign explained that property inside the camp would be held in storage until July 22 2024 and then disposed of. 

In a statement Oxford University said: “The lawn outside the Museum of Natural History is an important space for our many visitors to enjoy and relax in.

"We have temporarily fenced off the area in preparation for returning it to public use, to avoid further damage to the lawn and to remove any hazards to the public that may have been left.

"We are also looking to prevent damage to the lawn’s irrigation system and associated warranties, the protective membrane for the lawn and the museum collections beneath.

"This land is for everyone at the University and our visitors, and we are taking these steps in the interest of public safety and preserving our own property and collections.”

Protesters have set up a second encampment at the Radcliffe Camera and are hoping to turn the Pitt Rivers site into a community space with painted boards and raised beds.

A proposed "community gardening event" scheduled for today prompted their action, the university said.

“Over the last week the encampment members were informed on several occasions that there could be no gardening and urgent action was required when they advertised today’s event yesterday morning," they said.

The Oxford Action for Palestine group said the camp was closed "with no prior communication to OA4P despite OA4P repeatedly expressing a commitment to the university to continue using the space".

Amytess Girgis, a politics student at Keble College, who was inside the fence, said: "It was very, very confusing to me and many of us here as our negotiation team had spoken with other admin literally yesterday and in a formal meeting on Friday and there was no mention of them saying we are going to close this camp.

'Sleepers' at the second encampment at the Radcliffe Camera (Image: NQ staff)

"We’ve been in ongoing dialogue with the university for a week now. We made it so clear how important both these two sites are to us."

She said when they started working on a garden "there were concerns about what is under the soil. Which is why we brought in raised beds so there’s no digging."

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She added: "They have said today that they are hoping to clear this encampment. They have not said anything about the other encampment.

"The reality is that what is happening across the country from university administrations, and the prime minister and the government have been deeply threatened by the student action and are begging to shut it down.

"But they know they can’t shut down a peaceful protest especially when that protest has such mass support behind it.

"So for the university to think they can get away with in the early hours of Sunday morning trying to shut down an encampment that has been a part of global fight is to me deeply disappointing but also not viable because we’re not going anywhere."