Gaza protest camp at Cambridge college disbands

The camp on King's Parade in Cambridge has been in place for 100 days

A Gaza war protest camp set up in front of a Cambridge college has ended after 100 days, although demonstrators said their cause "won't go away".

Protesters claim the camp, by King's College, was started over concerns about Cambridge University's investments in relation to the defence and arms industry.

In a statement, the university said it was committed to reviewing "our approach to responsible investment".

Alex Fox, one of the demonstrators, said "the action we've taken has had clear results."

"The last hundred days have been completely transformative for me," the former student added.

"The sense we are building community and resistance is hugely important.

"The whole city of Cambridge is joining us as we fight for Palestinian lives. The action we've taken has had clear results."

The camp was established more than three months ago on King's Parade in Cambridge

The encampment has been in place for more than three months

He added: "We have shown that we are stronger than an 800-year-old institution whose bureaucracy stalls everything. We won't go away until Palestine is free."

Mahmoud Atallah, a spokesman for protesters at the camp, said: "The time to disband is now [because we need] to reorganise.

"We achieved much more than our initial demands. We wanted disclosure, divestment, reinvestment and protection. At least three of those are in the process of being done."

Mr Atallah, a 23-year-old Cambridge University student who grew up in Egypt, said investment had been put in place for scholarships for Palestinian students.

"The bigger win is building this community," he added.

Mahmoud Atallah said he believed the protest camp had been a success

In a statement published on 1 August, the university said: "We are aware that the students who have been participating in the protests are seeking firm commitments and a clear roadmap.

"We will ensure that the review processes relating to responsible investments and research relationships outlined in this document take place rapidly during Michaelmas Term 2024 [8 October - 6 December], with the aim of arriving at initial positions by the end of the term.

"The University will also keep the community updated on progress throughout."

Cambridge University had previously said its proposals for discussing an investment review were, "contingent on the encampment closing down".

The protest camp was set up more than three months ago