Oxford University removes Palestine protesters' garden

The Oxford Action for Palestine group has said a memorial garden outside the Museum of Natural History, planted in tribute to the Palestinians killed by Israeli forces, had been removed by Oxford University staff. 

The OA4P group said the Oxford University administration had sent "heavy machinery" to destroy the garden on Tuesday, June 25, after students and supporters had finished planting it overnight.

This followed the installation of fences around the encampment on June 23 with the university citing health and safety concerns. 

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Footage of the garden removal, shared on social media by OA4P, appeared to show a digger and staff removing parts of the garden at the so-called "Pitt Rivers encampment". 

This camp was originally set up on May 6 with many tents covering the land outside the Natural History Museum which continues into the Pitt Rivers Museum. 

While most OA4P events have moved to the Radcliffe Camera encampment, which was set up on May 19, the group said it had "worked tirelessly overnight (June 24 to 25) to finalise the garden, planting seeds in the dark".

Protesters worked to plant the garden overnight. (Image: Oxford Action for Palestine)
A spokesperson said: "It was thoughtfully created as a living archive of our first Gaza Solidarity Encampment.

"It featured poppies, za’atar, sage, strawberries, and cucumber seeds straight from Palestine."

There was also a Shireen Abu Akleh memorial garden - named after a prominent Palestinian journalist shot dead while covering an Israeli military operation in the West Bank in May 2022. 

An OA4P spokesperson said there were also "memorial mounds in remembrance and recognition of the Palestinian martyrs of Gaza".

The group said plans for the garden were made with a "detailed understanding of the sensitive areas of the land with a commitment to the health and safety of the area".

The memorial garden included banners with quotes from prominent Palestinians. (Image: Oxford Action for Palestine)

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A University of Oxford spokesperson said: "The lawn outside the Museum of Natural History is an important space for our many visitors to enjoy and relax in."

The spokesperson said the university had "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," the spokesperson added.

"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."

While OA4P said the group was not contacted, the university spokesperson said camp members had been informed that "there could be no gardening".

Multiple groups supporting the Palestinian cause plan to stage a "Stop the Genocide Workplace Day of Action" rally at Carfax Tower on Thursday, June 27 around 12.30pm.