When I arrived at the Sheldonian Lecture Theatre in central Oxford there were 100-300 (I'm not great at estimating crowds precisely so I prefer to give a margin of error!) people outside chanting ('Occupation is a crime/Free, free palestine') and showing a diverse range of placards, banners etc.
The noise levels were maintained for the entire event, and I would guess were probably audible inside. The lecture was due to start at 7:45pm but it wasn't until around 8:10pm that the presidential motorcade was whizzed through in a flash of police motorbikes. Sadly not many people in the crowd seemed to be up for physically disrupting things, and as far as I could see there wasn't really any attempt to blockade.
Sometime between 9pm and 9:30 the same thing was repeated in reverse as they whisked the guy away.
I believe there were some actions inside, because I saw one guy who had been inside being searched and warned not to return. However, I don't know for sure what happened.
Meanwhile the everyday repression in occupied Palestine continues; one banner mentioned the fishermen and internationals currently being held by the Israelis merely for having the audacity to fish in Gazan waters:
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/11/413128.html
The noise levels were maintained for the entire event, and I would guess were probably audible inside. The lecture was due to start at 7:45pm but it wasn't until around 8:10pm that the presidential motorcade was whizzed through in a flash of police motorbikes. Sadly not many people in the crowd seemed to be up for physically disrupting things, and as far as I could see there wasn't really any attempt to blockade.
Sometime between 9pm and 9:30 the same thing was repeated in reverse as they whisked the guy away.
I believe there were some actions inside, because I saw one guy who had been inside being searched and warned not to return. However, I don't know for sure what happened.
Meanwhile the everyday repression in occupied Palestine continues; one banner mentioned the fishermen and internationals currently being held by the Israelis merely for having the audacity to fish in Gazan waters:
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/11/413128.html