Francesco and Martin, both 22 years old, are standing in front of the historic headquarters of the Sciencespo faculty in Paris, waving a Palestinian flag. The entrance has been blockaded all day by garbage containers, fences, bicycles, and wooden pallets. They wear masks to conceal their identities and chant slogans in support of Gaza. Francesco (not his real name) explains that they cover themselves for security reasons and fear disciplinary sanctions or being identified by the extreme right.
Inside the building, several young people can be seen at the windows, their heads covered with Palestinian scarves and masks on their faces. They hold banners with the word “war” crossed out and replaced with “genocide.” Other messages include “We ask for justice, we wait for the police” and “police everywhere, justice nowhere.” Marie, a young woman with a Palestinian scarf around her neck, explains that there is always a repressive response when they try to denounce the massacre in Gaza.
Joining Marie, Francesco, and Martin are several hundred students who have barricaded themselves in the headquarters as a protest against the “genocide in Gaza” and in solidarity with American students demonstrating in universities across the United States. Some students have spent the night in the building, and a group was recently evacuated by the police from another location on campus.
Amanda, a Spanish student who just left the building after spending the night, expresses concern about the potential expulsion threat. They wear white masks and have red-painted hands. Amidst moments of tension with pro-Israel demonstrators, an orchestra plays songs like La Internacional and Bella Ciao to uplift the atmosphere. Amanda emphasizes that they are peaceful and do not want any problems.
The police prefect has ordered the evacuation of public roads and the university management will decide whether the students will leave the building. Martin states that some students have faced disciplinary sanctions and threats, which is why they are all covered and protected. Francesco adds that they want the French university system, from the Sorbonne to Nanterre, to mobilize in this international struggle.
Yassine, also at the headquarters, denounces the repression faced by those expressing political views on Palestine. He believes that this issue will continue to spread and highlights the criminalization of those protesting against genocide while presenting the killers as victims. Yassine criticizes the intimidation that these students face, calling it unprecedented in a democracy.
The student movement at Columbia University in the United States, which began as a protest against the war in Gaza, has spread to prestigious American universities like Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. In France, the combative student movement draws inspiration from the legacy of May 68.
The management of the Sciencespo faculty has decided to close other locations and is set to meet with the protesting students. The students’ demands include lifting sanctions against penalized students, condemning Israel’s attacks in Gaza, creating a space for non-militant debate and analysis of the situation, and investigating collaborations between Sciencespo and Israeli universities.
The protest has already caught the attention of the political class, with Higher Education Minister Sylvie Retailleau stating, “Debate yes, blockade no.” At the rally, deputies from the far-left party La Francia Insumisa, who have been demonstrating in favor of Palestine since October 7, expressed their support for the students, with leader Jean Luc Mélenchon declaring them the honor of the country.