The Sorbonne University, one of the oldest in the world, closed its buildings for the day, while student protests against the conflict in Gaza took place.
In addition to setting up tents in one of the courtyards, the students, numbering around 50, shouted “Free Palestine” and urged the institution to condemn Israel.
“We set up tents like at several universities in the USA”, described Louis Maziere, a student at the Sorbonne. “We are doing everything we can to raise awareness about what is happening in Palestine, about the ongoing genocide in Gaza,” he explained to Reuters.
According to the same news agency, BFM TV showed images of the police dragging some students, a procedure corroborated by the student interviewed.
“The police rushed in, tore down the tents, grabbed the students by their collars and dragged them to the ground., this is not okay. We are quite shocked,” said Maziere.
“This operation, which lasted just a few minutes, was carried out peacefully and without incident”declared a police source, refusing to answer questions about how the students were removed.
Several French politicians, including Mathilde Panot, who leads the far-left LFI group of lawmakers in the National Assembly, urged their supporters on social media to join the protests at the Sorbonne.
Negotiations in Columbia failed
The protest at the Sorbonne comes days after similar demonstrations and encampments took place at Paris’ elite Institute of Political Studies (Sciences Po), and at several locations in the United States, such as Columbia University.
Pro-Palestine camp in New York, Columbia University | Caitlin Ochs – Reuters
For at least five days, pro-Palestinian protesters have camped in front of New York University and have not budged.
The protesters promised to keep the tents in campus of Manhattan until Columbia meets several demands, including transparency in the University’s finances and amnesty for students and professors punished for their participation in protests against the war and in support of Palestine.
The war in Gaza is in its seventh month. Since Hamas’ attack on Israel last October, more than 34,000 Palestinians and more than 1,400 Israelis have died, the vast majority in the October 7 attack.
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Tags: Clashes students police proPalestinian demonstration Sorbonne University
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