Rima Hassan, a Franco-Palestinian lawyer and candidate in the European elections for the La France insoumise party, was set to speak at a conference titled “Acting against the threat of genocide in Gaza” at the University of Paris-Dauphine. The event was also to feature Ivar Ekeland, president of the Association of Scholars for Respect for International Law in Palestine (Aurdip). However, the university initially banned the conference citing concerns about public order and security. The decision was challenged in court, and the Council of State ultimately confirmed the earlier ruling that there was not enough evidence to justify the ban based on the alleged threats to public order.
The Council of State found that the renovation work taking place at the university, which the administration claimed made it difficult to secure the venue, was not a sufficient reason to prevent the conference from taking place. The judges also noted that there was not enough detailed information to prove the alleged threats at the university. The original ban, issued on April 22nd, was based on the university’s concerns about potential disruptions to public order and the need to ensure the safety of participants. The administration also argued that the conference’s theme exceeded the institution’s mission or risked compromising its neutrality.
During the court hearing, the university president, El-Mouhoub Mouhoud, explained that the decision to ban the conference was guided by a sense of collective responsibility for security risks, rather than personal opposition to the content or speakers. He cited a past incident involving a disruptive external group during a previous event with MP Mathilde Panot as a reason for the security concerns. The university also faced internal tensions following a terrorist attack by Hamas in Israel and the subsequent response targeting Palestinians in Gaza, leading to strained relations between student groups.
The Vice President of the university, Sébastien Damart, highlighted the “internal tension risks” that emerged after the Hamas attack and the response in Gaza. He mentioned incidents such as the removal of posters and the deterioration of previously cordial relations between the Union of Jewish Students of France and the Muslim student association. The decision to ban the conference was made in light of these existing tensions and concerns about maintaining a safe and secure environment on campus. Ultimately, the Council of State’s decision allowed the conference to proceed at another venue, Paris-Dauphine University.
Despite the initial ban and concerns raised by university officials, the conference on acting against the threat of genocide in Gaza, featuring Rima Hassan and Ivar Ekeland, was able to proceed at Paris-Dauphine University thanks to the Council of State’s ruling. The decision highlighted the importance of balancing freedom of expression and academic discourse with security considerations in a potentially sensitive political context. Throughout the process, various perspectives and concerns about public order, security, and maintaining a neutral environment on campus were carefully weighed to reach a resolution that allowed the event to take place in a different setting.
