PARIS– On Friday, French police peacefully expelled dozens of students from the prestigious Sciences Po university who had gathered in support of the Palestinians, echoing similar solidarity camps and demonstrations across the United States.
The intervention came after police evicted students on 23 French campuses on Thursday due to pro-Palestinian demonstrations, according to the prime minister’s office.
Students at Sciences Po’s central campus in Paris waved Palestinian flags and chanted slogans in support of Gaza residents, as Israel continues its offensive following the deadly October 1 attack. 7 Hamas-led attack that sparked war between Israel and Hamas.
The main building of Sciences Po, whose official name is the Paris Institute of Political Studies and which counts among its many famous alumni President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, had been occupied since Thursday night. The university administration closed the main buildings and moved classes online.
Students chanting “Free Gaza, Free Palestine” held a protest later Friday in front of the Pantheon monument near the elite Sorbonne University to call for an end to Israel’s offensive in Gaza.
Similar protests by small groups of students have taken place in recent days on campuses in Lille in the north, Reims in the Champagne region and Lyon in the southeast.
Attal’s office said police had been asked to remove students from 23 sites on French campuses on Thursday and that “they were all evacuated within a few hours.”
A police presence will remain near Sciences Po to prevent further blockades, it said in a statement.
Protesters said they want an investigative committee to examine the university’s financial ties to Israel to ensure they are not violating international law.
The school said administrator Jean Bassères met overnight and Friday morning with students occupying the site to try to find a solution to allow exams to take place. Unable to reach an agreement, Bassères asked the police to intervene.
The school described it as a “difficult decision” and said it “regrets that multiple efforts at dialogue did not prevent this from happening.”
Last week, pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli protesters clashed in a confrontation on the street in front of Sciences Po. Riot police intervened to separate the groups. The protest ended peacefully after the pro-Palestinian students agreed to leave. The school agreed to suspend disciplinary proceedings against the protesting students and hold a town hall on the issue.
France has the largest Jewish population in Europe and the largest Muslim population in Western Europe, and often witnesses tensions and protests related to unrest in the Middle East.