“From Columbia to Sciences Po, and everywhere in France, students are mobilizing in solidarity! » The slogan, written in red and green letters on the Instagram account of the Palestine Sciences Po Committee, frames a map of France where current actions in French higher education are pinned.
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In the processions of the 1er-May, many young people marched at the call of the “Palestine committees” of Sciences Po and the political studies institutes (IEP). These collectives, which claim hundreds of members, were formed in November 2023 during the intensification of Israel’s offensive on Gaza following the Hamas attack on October 7.
Since the installation of the first camp in the courtyard of Sciences Po Paris on April 24 – evacuated the following night by the CRS – and echoing the occupation of Columbia University (New York), the movement in support of Gazans have gained momentum. Tuesday April 30, the IEPs got into the action, from Rennes to Toulouse via Strasbourg, Lyon and Saint-Germain-en-Laye. Along with a few universities (in Paris, Grenoble and Saint-Etienne), they were the scene of gatherings and even blockades in the wake of the mobilizations the day before at the Sorbonne, where dozens of tents had been pitched in the courtyard of honor. At the request of the Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal, who wanted “a rapid reaction”the police intervened promptly to dislodge the students.
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In one week, the police intervened several times in university grounds. The tradition of “university franchise”, according to which maintaining order is the responsibility of the university authority itself unless there is imminent danger, had not experienced such a challenge for a long time.
“Narrow path of compromise”
To avoid using force again to lift a second blockade by around fifty students, the provisional administrator of Sciences Po, Jean Bassères, negotiated an agreement with them on the evening of April 26. He announced the holding of a debate on the Israeli-Palestinian question on Thursday, May 2, during which “all questions can be asked” in the presence of “all stakeholders of the institution”students, researchers, teachers or employees.
The event, entitled “town hall” – a big debate such as those practiced in Anglo-Saxon establishments – corresponded to a request from the Palestine Sciences Po Committee. On the other hand, the provisional administrator had not acceded to another request: end academic partnerships with Israeli universities. This “narrow gauge” of compromise, in the words of Jean Bassères in an interview with WorldTuesday, will be scrutinized, because its outcome could depend on the continuation of the movement, particularly within the IEPs and the delocalized campuses of Sciences Po, of which there are seven.
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