Students protested in front of Sciences Po in Paris in support of the Palestinians on May 7, 2024. Police interventions took place on Saint-Guillaume Street in Paris following orders from the police prefecture. After the evacuation of tents set up on the sidewalk by members of the Palestine Sciences Po committee on May 6, two more operations followed on Tuesday morning and early afternoon. Two students were arrested around 9:30 am during the police operation and placed in custody for rebellion, participating in a demonstration with a covered face, taking part in a gathering despite warnings to disperse, the Paris prosecutor’s office said. Around noon, a hundred students gathered to denounce the two arrests and reiterated their desire for the school’s management to establish a working group to “investigate” Sciences Po’s academic and economic partnerships with Israeli institutions.
The students were joined by two other groups, one consisting of several dozen employees and teachers from Sciences Po, at the request of the FO union, and the other of fifty students from Sorbonne University who had blocked their Clignancourt campus on Tuesday morning. Brandishing a sign saying “Students give us hope,” Flora Chanvril, an employee of the school and FO representative on the CSE, supported the demand for a working group on partnerships. She explained that while cutting ties with institutions is not a good idea, it is essential to discuss partnerships in depth and establish clear criteria based not only on ecological considerations, regardless of the country. Francois-Xavier Bellamy, the leader of the Republican Party in the European elections, was present a few meters away from the students. He stated that he was there to be the voice of students who do not want to see Sciences Po reduced to constant blockades. He called for students blocking exams to be deprived of exams and for foreign students involved in disruptions to be sent back to their countries.
Louis Boyard, a member of the La France insoumise party, responded to Bellamy by pointing out that he was constantly avoiding addressing the issue of the genocide in Gaza. The protests and demonstrations were part of a larger movement that drew attention to the situation in Gaza. The situation escalated as students demanded a deeper investigation into the partnerships between Sciences Po and Israeli institutions. The protests also highlighted the divisions within the political spectrum, with different parties taking opposing stances on the issue. The presence of political figures at the protests added another layer of complexity to the situation.
The response from the authorities to the protests and arrests remains to be seen, with the Paris prosecutor’s office indicating that they will analyze the facts and determine the legal implications. The ongoing demonstrations and clashes between students and the police reflect a broader tension surrounding issues of international relations and human rights. The demands made by the students for transparency and accountability in academic partnerships indicate a growing awareness and activism among young people. The outcome of these protests and the actions taken by the school administration and government authorities will have lasting implications for the relationship between academic institutions, students, and political entities.
