blockage at ESJ Lille, end of the “town hall” at Sciences-Po Paris… Update on student mobilization

A university site in Saint-Etienne was briefly blocked Thursday morning, while in Lille, the management of Sciences-Po decided to close the establishment for the morning in the face of an “attempted blockade” by students.

The student mobilization demanding a ceasefire in Gaza continues in several cities in France this Thursday, May 2. In parallel with widespread mobilization on campuses in the United States, actions have multiplied, mainly on Sciences-Po sites in the regions. Sciences-Po was closed in Lille this Thursday while a handful of students blocked access to a university site in Saint-Etienne. The Minister of Higher Education, Sylvie Retailleau, asked university presidents on Thursday to ensure ” preserve the order “ audience. “Le Nouvel Obs” takes stock.

• In Lille, Sciences-Po closed, the Journalism School blocked

The Lille Institute of Political Studies remained closed this Thursday morning, the management having decided to close the establishment, initially until noon, after a “blocking attempt” by students “partly exterior” at Science Po, the management indicated in a press release.

The students who had mobilized at dawn for this blockade then went to the neighboring ESJ, to which they blocked the access, to cries of “Children of Gaza, children of Palestine, it is humanity that is being murdered”.

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“More ethics on our sets”, “More than 100 journalists dead in Gaza”could we read on signs posted in front of the establishment, while around fifty demonstrators stood in front of the doors locked by heavy chains. “There is no intrusion inside the school, no breakage outside”indicated to AFP the director of the ESJ, Pierre Savary, stressing that this type of action is “very rare at ESJ”.

Classes are canceled for the entire day.

Among the students’ demands, the cancellation of a joint master’s degree at Sciences-Po Lille with Tel Aviv University. “Our board of directors has clearly spoken out against the boycott of Israeli universities”indicated the management of Science Po, while estimating “legitimate that our community can express its solidarity with the populations victims of the war”.

A meeting is planned for Friday to reflect “the actions to be taken within the school and in conjunction with our partners”.

• A university site blocked in Saint-Etienne

A handful of students demanding a ceasefire in Gaza also blocked access to a university site in Saint-Etienne on Thursday before an intervention by the police. Like Monday morning, around fifteen students piled up trash cans in front of the entrances to the Jean-Monnet University building which houses the department of political and territorial studies, the Lyon IEP branch, and the Saint-Etienne School of Economics.

Their evacuation by the police took place around 11 a.m. without clashes, the presidency of the Jean Monnet University, which had made the request, told AFP.

The police also intervened on Tuesday to dislodge them and a delegation was immediately received by the president of the university, Florent Pigeon, to whom they had asked to be able to organize a conference on Palestine. During this meeting, “we have not managed to reach an agreement”, one of their representatives told AFP to explain the resumption of the blockade the day after May 1.

• A “town hall” at Sciences-Po Paris

This was a request from the blocking students during their discussions with the management of Sciences-Po Paris. A “town hall”, a term used in the United States to describe a large public meeting, was held this Thursday at the Paris Institute of Political Science. “All questions can be asked”had assured the management.

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This debate, which lasted approximately two hours, was reserved exclusively for students and employees, with no access for the media. It was announced on Friday by the management, following several hours of discussions with students mobilized for the Palestinian cause and several days of tensions inside and outside Sciences-Po Paris.

“The goal today is to show that at Sciences Po, we are capable of debating calmly”, a member of management told AFP just before the debate, on condition of anonymity. The provisional administrator of the establishment, Jean Bassères, must speak to the press at midday. The Sciences-Po Palestine committee is also due to hold a press conference.

• Retailleau asks university presidents to ensure “maintenance of order”

The Minister of Higher Education Sylvie Retailleau, for her part, asked university presidents on Thursday to ensure ” preserve the order “ public in the face of these increasing mobilizations. “I ask you to use the fullest extent of the powers conferred on you by the Education Code”particularly in terms of disciplinary sanctions in the event of disturbances or recourse to the police, she said during a remote intervention with university presidents.

“A small minority of students cannot block a majority of students and create a climate of fear, or even violence, through unacceptable comments and gestures”she told them again. “Presidents are responsible for maintaining order on university grounds. And the police can only enter at the request of the university authority.”she reminded those in charge of French campuses.

“Debate and freedom of expression, yes. […] But that doesn’t allow everything, and blockages and intimidation are a no-go.”she also told them, asking them to “guarantee the possibility of expressing the plurality of opinions of students”.

Faced with requests to question partnerships with universities and organizations supporting Israel, the minister also affirmed that it is “there is no question of universities taking an institutional position in favor of this or that demand in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East”.