PARIS. Police in Paris intervened at France’s esteemed Sciences Po university on Friday, clearing out student activists who had staged an overnight occupation in protest against Israel’s actions in its conflict with Hamas in Gaza.
Eyewitnesses confirmed the police operation as officers entered the university premises and removed a significant number of the approximately 70 pro-Palestinian demonstrators who had taken part in the sit-in. Unlike some similar protests in the United States, the demonstrations in France have remained peaceful, devoid of any violent incidents as the students were escorted out of the buildings.
The university remained closed for the day, with a noticeable police presence surrounding its main building.
The office of Prime Minister Gabriel Attal revealed that student protests had been dispersed from 23 higher education institutions across the nation on Thursday. In a statement, the office highlighted the absence of permanent protest camps in France, distinguishing the situation from what has been observed in other countries, particularly across the Atlantic.
Sciences Po has emerged as a focal point for student activism in France concerning the conflict and academic relations with Israel, although protests have occurred across the country, albeit on a smaller scale compared to the United States.
Clement Petitjean, a professor of American studies at Sorbonne University, commented on the underlying sentiments driving the protests, stating, “There is a level of anger and dissatisfaction that had been there for a while and (the Gaza war) was the spark that caused this huge fire that right now political elites don’t know how to extinguish.”
Despite demands from protesters to reassess its ties with Israeli universities, Sciences Po’s director, Jean Basseres, stood firm, leading to the prolonged standoff between authorities and demonstrators.
One student, identified only as Jack, recounted his participation in the overnight occupation, asserting that protesters had rejected the university’s ultimatum to vacate certain areas of the building.
The repercussions of the protests extended beyond Paris, affecting Sciences Po’s satellite campuses in Reims, Le Havre, and Poitiers. Furthermore, demonstrations disrupted Sciences Po Lyon and the Lille School of Journalism.
Petitjean attributed the relatively smaller scale of the protests in France to factors such as fewer economic ties between universities and Israeli entities and less vocal support from academic staff compared to their counterparts in the United States.
