In Paris, a group of pro-Palestinian students decided to occupy a new building at Sciences Po in support of Palestinians and denounce the violence against Israeli civilians in Gaza. This action came just a day after a police evacuation of another part of the establishment due to similar actions inspired by American universities.
On Thursday afternoon, around 50 students gathered outside the school building and chanted slogans in support of Palestine. Inside the building, between 70 and 100 students were present according to activists from the Palestine Sciences Po committee. They demanded that Sciences Po publicly condemn Israel’s actions and end collaborations with institutions complicit in the oppression of the Palestinian people. The students also called for an end to the repression of pro-Palestinian voices on campus.
The occupation continued into the next day, with around 20 students outside the building and a dozen still inside. The police were not present as of the morning, and the entrance doors were locked, with no classes scheduled for the day. Political figures like Jean-Luc Mélenchon expressed admiration for the students’ actions and their resistance in the face of potential pressure and brutality.
The student movement for Palestine is spreading to other universities, as seen in a similar occupation at a different campus in Paris. The activists are connected with global solidarity movements, including those at American universities. The students are demanding accountability and justice for the Palestinian people and are willing to face the consequences of their actions to make their voices heard.
