Police seize firearms from home of Oxford student arrested over ‘Zios in the ground’ chant

Police have seized several firearms and boxes of ammunition from the family home of an Oxford University student arrested for leading chants urging Gaza to “put the Zios in the ground” at a pro-Palestinian rally.

As reported by the Daily Mail, uniformed officers and forensic specialists were seen removing gun cases and clear bags of cartridges from a cul-de-sac property in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, on Thursday, a day after 20-year-old Samuel Williams was detained on suspicion of inciting racial hatred.

Williams, a Balliol College student, was filmed leading the chant – referring to “Zios”, a derogatory term for Zionists – during a demonstration in central London on 11 October. He was later arrested at an address in Oxfordshire, according to the Metropolitan Police.

Video footage circulated online shows Williams telling the crowd the slogan had been “workshopped in Oxford” before leading others in repeating it.

Investigative journalist David Collier uncovered images from Williams’ private Instagram account appearing to show him posing with what looks like a firearm while wearing camouflage clothing. In other posts, he appears with a keffiyeh scarf and makes hand gestures mimicking a gun.

Police confirmed that the search of the Tunbridge Wells property was connected to Williams’ arrest. Officers were seen loading multiple gun cases into a police car, along with clear bags believed to contain shotgun cartridges. There is no suggestion that any of the weapons were illegally owned.

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: “Officers investigating chants filmed at a Palestine Coalition demonstration in central London on Saturday, 11 October, have made an arrest. A 20-year-old man was arrested at an address in Oxfordshire on Wednesday, 15 October, on suspicion of inciting racial hatred. He remains in police custody.”

A spokesperson for the University of Oxford said: “An Oxford university student was arrested in the early hours of Wednesday, 15 October. The precise basis for the arrest has not yet been disclosed to the university.

“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.

“Oxford University is unequivocal: there is no place for hatred, antisemitism, or discrimination within our community, and we will always act to protect the safety and dignity of our students.”

The Union of Jewish Students (UJS) welcomed what it called “decisive action” following the incident, saying universities must “end the culture of impunity that has allowed antisemitism to go unchecked on campus.”

“Institutions must take a firm, consistent stand against the glorification of terror,” a UJS spokesperson said.

Williams is understood to have been suspended from the university pending the outcome of the police investigation.