Pro-Palestinian protesters in Paris inspired by Gaza solidarity encampments in the United States blocked access to a campus building at Sciences Po, a prestigious French university. The protest prompted administrators to move all classes online after a previous demonstration outside one of the university’s Paris campuses was broken up by police. On Friday, protesters occupied a central campus building and blocked its entrance with various objects, chanting slogans and displaying placards reading “We are all Palestinians.” The university strongly condemned the actions, and administrators were in discussions with a student delegation to address the situation through dialogue.
The actions by students at Sciences Po were inspired by similar demonstrations at Columbia University in New York and other campuses in the US, with the main focus remaining on solidarity with the Palestinian people. The protest at Columbia University has been ongoing for 10 days, with hundreds of students and some professors arrested across the country in demonstrations against the Israel-Hamas conflict. While some schools have called law enforcement to disperse protests, Columbia has been negotiating with the protesters, with the university indicating they will seek other options if negotiations fail. The protests have been part of a larger movement sweeping campuses from California to Connecticut, highlighting the international impact of the conflict on student activism.
Sciences Po, founded in 1871, has historically been a significant institution for producing French leaders, politicians, and industry leaders, with alumni including President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Gabriel Attal. The recent protests have disrupted the normal functioning of the institution and have been condemned by university administrators, who have sought to engage the protesters in dialogue to resolve the situation. The protesters have remained steadfast in their actions, inspired by their solidarity with the Palestinian people and motivated by similar demonstrations taking place in the US.
The occupation of the central campus building at Sciences Po has resulted in administrators moving all classes online and attempting to address the situation through dialogue with a student delegation. The protest was a response to the actions taken by police to break up a demonstration outside one of the university’s Paris campuses two days earlier. While most protesters agreed to leave after discussions with management, a small group remained and was eventually removed by police. The university has expressed its condemnation of the student actions for disrupting the institution’s functioning and causing inconvenience to students, teachers, and employees.
The solidarity with the Palestinian people has been a central theme of the protests at Sciences Po and other campuses, with students remaining firm in their stance despite the efforts of authorities to disperse the demonstrations. The ongoing protests in the US, particularly at Columbia University, have set a precedent for international student activism against the Israel-Hamas conflict, with demonstrations taking place across the country. The actions by students at Sciences Po, inspired by their counterparts in the US, reflect a commitment to raising awareness and advocating for the Palestinian cause on a global scale, echoing the sentiments of solidarity expressed in the protests.
The protests at Sciences Po and other campuses highlight the international response to the Israel-Hamas conflict, with students and faculty engaging in demonstrations to show solidarity with the Palestinian people. While the demonstrations have faced opposition from authorities and university administrators, students have continued to push for their cause, drawing inspiration from similar protests in the US. The ongoing dialogue between protesters and university officials underscores the importance of addressing the impact of the conflict on academic institutions and promoting awareness of global issues through student activism.
