Protests in support of Palestine continue in French universities, albeit with less intensity compared to the demonstrations in the US. Last Friday, over a thousand people blocked the historic Sciencespo building in Paris, and on Monday, police intervened to disperse another demonstration at Sorbonne University, where blockades had also taken place the previous week.
Law enforcement officers forcibly removed students who were demonstrating in support of Palestine and had set up tents inside the building. One student reported to the AFP agency that the police used violence during their removal from the campus.
The police prefecture and Prime Minister Gabriel Attal had ordered the evacuation of the university center. Last Friday, the prime minister had already ordered the dissolution of the protest outside Sciencespo. As a result, the university has remained closed, and the Paris rectorate has announced the suspension of some scheduled exams.
The intervention of law enforcement inside university premises is uncommon in France, as it requires authorization from the rectorate and has the potential to further exacerbate the already volatile student atmosphere in the country. However, the police did not intervene during Friday’s protest.
French students are seeking to align their demands with those of American universities in support of Gaza, while certain political parties have also started rallying behind this cause. La France Insoumise, a far-left party led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon, has described the situation in Gaza as genocide, and several of its lawmakers were present at Friday’s demonstration.
The party has called for the protests to be extended, while the government accuses them of fueling tensions. These developments come just days before the traditional May Day demonstration in France, which often sees heightened tensions.
Over the weekend, Gabriel Attal stated, “There will never be a right to blockade, there will never be tolerance towards the actions of an active and dangerous minority that seeks to impose its rules on our students and teachers.” Manuel Bompard, coordinator of La France Insoumise, urged for the mobilizations to be expanded “to put an end to the tragedy in Gaza.”