British police have arrested 16 people at a protest organized by a pro-Palestinian student group at Oxford University, AFP reported.
Thames Valley Police said the men were arrested on suspicion of aggravated burglary and one was also detained on suspicion of common assault.
The demonstrators, who oppose the way Israel is waging the war against Hamas militants in Gaza, have made a variety of demands, including that universities sever their academic and financial ties with the country.
In Oxford, the arrests came after students stormed into the university's administration building on Thursday morning, saying they had "exhausted all other means of communication" with the administration.
"Instead of engaging in dialogue with the students, the vice-chancellor chose to evacuate the building, lock it down and call the police to make arrests," said a spokesman for the Oxford Action for Palestine (OA4P) protest group.
"We demand that the administration meet with us to negotiate immediately."
Videos posted on social media showed people sitting on the ground in front of a police van being pulled away by police as onlookers chanted "shame".
A statement from the University of Oxford said the demonstrators "went beyond the scope" of a peaceful protest and it "culminated in the forcible entry and temporary occupation" of some university offices.
He added that OA4P had "escalated their protest actions from mostly peaceful to direct action tactics", creating a "deeply intimidating environment" for community members, including Jewish students and staff.
The university's union, which represents academics, faculty and staff, condemned the "forceful arrest" of students who were "participating in a peaceful protest". /BGNES
