Sir Keir Starmer has criticised the University of Oxford for its “slow reaction” to dealing with a student who was filmed chanting “put the Zios in the ground” at a pro-Palestine rally.

Samuel Williams is understood to have been suspended after he allegedly made the comments to a crowd of people during a Palestine Coalition protest in Westminster on Saturday, October 11.

The Metropolitan Police said on Wednesday it had arrested a 20-year-old man on suspicion of inciting racial hatred.

He has since been released on police bail, the force confirmed.

The Prime Minister today said the University of Oxford had a “slow reaction to the clearest of clear cases”.

Speaking during a visit to the Community Security Trust (CST), which provides protection for Jewish communities in the UK, he said: “Bridget, the Education Secretary, has already sent out very clear instructions to our universities because it should not be a place where Jewish students fear even to go, in some cases, not wanting to go to university, o have the education that they’re entitled to.

“Or, if they do go, concerned about their identity and how they’re going to be dealt with and reacted to.

“We have to stamp that out and some universities have been too slow.

“Look at Oxford this week; that was a slow reaction to the clearest and clear cases.”

Sir Keir added that he would not “say anymore on that” because “there are proceedings in place”.

Williams, a philosophy, politics and economics student at Balliol College, was filmed taking a microphone at the march before leading the chant that he had been “workshopping in Oxford”.

He told the crowd: “A steadfast and noble resistance in Palestine and in Gaza to look to, to be inspired by and – I don’t want to yap for too long”.

“But a chant that we’ve been workshopping in Oxford that maybe you guys want to join in,” the student added.

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“It goes ‘Gaza, Gaza make us proud, put the Zios in the ground’.”

Oxford University said in an earlier statement that the “precise basis for the arrest has not yet been disclosed” to the institution.

“While the University cannot comment on individual student cases, it has the power to take immediate and proportionate action including, as appropriate, suspending a student from membership of the University, whenever serious concerns are raised,” the statement continued.

The university previously said it strongly condemns “any language urging violence against groups of people or expressing any form of racial hatred”.

It stated: “The university’s support for freedom of speech does not extend to any statements, including such language.

“When such language is reported, we will always want to speak to the student concerned and consider the matter under our disciplinary procedures in line with university and college policies.

“Oxford is unequivocal – there is no place for antisemitism, harassment, or discrimination within our community.

“We remain firmly committed to protecting the safety and dignity of all our students and staff.”

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson last week wrote to vice-chancellors urging them to take “practical and proportionate steps” to protect Jewish students as part of Government efforts to stamp out antisemitism following the Manchester synagog terror attack.

Some 600 training sessions delivered by the Union of Jewish Students will be offered to university staff over the coming weeks to help them “identify harassment and hate” and facilitate “open, respectful debate”, the Department for Education (DfE) said.

Thousands of teachers would be trained to teach young people how to “challenge misinformation online” through the £7million funding package, the Government says.

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