Yaël Braun-Pivet was invited on Friday to speak at Lyon 3 University.
But several dozen pro-Palestinian demonstrators mobilized to oppose his arrival, accusing him of supporting the “criminal actions of the Israeli state”.
In reaction, several ministers expressed their support for the President of the National Assembly.
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The arrival of Yaël Braun-Pivet at Lyon 3 University did not go unnoticed. While she was invited by an association to speak as part of an exchange, her arrival was preceded by a pro-Palestinian demonstration by activists opposed to her visit, Friday November 8. As the university entrance was sprayed, students chanted “Criminal Israel, Yaël complicit” or even “Yaël, get out of there, Lyon 3 is not yours” near. In response, several political leaders accused the demonstrators of anti-Semitism and of exploiting “the drama that the Palestinians are experiencing” .
These images make me ashamed
Gérard Larcher
“Full support for Yaël Braun-Pivet. These threats and insinuations against a political leader who fights against anti-Semitism as well as against all forms of discrimination and violence are unacceptable”wrote on the social network X, the Minister of Ecological Transition, Agnès Pannier-Runacher. “In the face of anti-Semitism, never give up, ever”she added.
“Total support for Yaël Braun-Pivet who far-left demonstrators with anti-Semitic ideas want to ban from a university”also wrote the Minister of the Interior Bruno Retailleau, denouncing a “unbearable fascist drift of activists who exploit the tragedy experienced by the Palestinians”.
Similarly, government spokesperson Maud Bregeon expressed support while expressing indignation. “For months, the drama experienced by the Palestinians has been exploited for the benefit of militant and assumed anti-Semitism. How can we understand that everyone does not ardently denounce it?”she stressed. “These images shame me, they shame us: the universities and France”also commented the President of the Senate, Gérard Larcher. “Debate is the foundation of our democracy. It must be able to take place in all circumstances and in all places, particularly in our universities”recalled, for her part, the President of the National Assembly during her intervention.
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Among the fifty tags discovered on the university grounds around 8:30 a.m. this Friday, he was registered “Yaël go to hell”, “Madame genocide is not welcome”and many “Free Gaza” or “Free Palestine”. Several left-wing organizations, including the Unef solidarity student unions or the young local LFIs, denounced the arrival of the Macronist leader, calling her “eminent figure of unconditional support for the criminal actions of the Israeli state ” in a press release.
“While the deaths caused by Israel’s operations number in the tens of thousands (more than 41,000 dead!) Yaël Braun-Pivet once again dared to defend the delivery of weapons to a criminal state”highlight the signatories of the press release. On October 6, on BFMTV, Yaël Braun-Pivet actually declared that he “Israel should not be disarmed”in reaction to statements by Emmanuel Macron calling for an end to deliveries of weapons used to carry out fighting in Gaza.
