Pro-Palestinian students have occupied a building at the University of Lausanne since Thursday, authorized to remain there by the rector of UNIL, Frédéric Herman. In La Matinale de la RTS, the latter repeated that he wanted to maintain dialogue and keep the campus secure.
Around a hundred pro-Palestinian students have occupied the entrance hall of the Géopolis building of the University of Lausanne (UNIL) since late Thursday afternoon. According to the rector of the alma mater Frédéric Herman, the demonstrators were only around ten left at the end of the evening, “but the figures remain to be confirmed”.
The first night of occupation seems to have passed peacefully. “I have not had any news this morning, but I interpret it as a good sign, that everything remains peaceful and peaceful,” explains Frédéric Herman at the RTS microphone.
>> Read: Pro-Palestinian activists authorized to occupy a UNIL building until Monday
Several demands
The day before, the rector quickly went there to chat for a while with a few students. They addressed several demands to him: the development of a list of ongoing collaborations with Israeli institutions, their immediate interruption, and this until Israel respects a permanent ceasefire and respect for international law. or a proactive policy of welcoming and supporting Palestinian students and researchers, similar to what was put in place following the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian army.
What did he answer them? “We listened to them. We have been talking with them for several months and we want to maintain a dialogue. I think it is essential to maintain a secure campus. They sent us demands and we said to ourselves that we were going to go listen to them. We take note of this and we will position ourselves in the days to come.”
“Do not position yourself politically”
Frédéric Herman points out, however, that universities do not have to position themselves politically. “These are training institutions. My role is to ensure that the campus remains secure so that our research and teaching missions can take place, to have debates, intellectual depth.”
According to the former dean of the Faculty of Geosciences and the Environment, nothing was disrupted by the demonstration. “The students promised that they would not interrupt research and teaching activities on campus.”
UNIL guaranteed that there would be no identity checks on participants or any sanctions against them. They won’t be dislodged either. “We are committed not to have academic sanctions or a violent approach,” underlined Frédéric Herman.
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