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Oxford Student Pleads Not Guilty in 'Zios' Chant Case as 2028 Trial Date Set

The 21-year-old denies using unlawful language at a Whitehall rally captured on video.

Overview

  • Samuel Williams appeared at Southwark Crown Court on February 24, entered a not guilty plea, and was granted conditional bail.
  • Prosecutors allege he stirred up racial hatred by using threatening, abusive or insulting words at an October 11 demonstration in central London.
  • Footage posted online shows a man leading the chant, "Gaza, Gaza make us proud, put the Zios in the ground," after saying it had been workshopped in Oxford.
  • Williams was arrested in Oxfordshire following a Scotland Yard investigation, previously faced protest-related bail restrictions in the M25 area and Oxford, and was suspended by Oxford University.
  • Reports describe 'Zio' as an offensive term for Zionists, and Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has highlighted rising antisemitism concerns at universities.