Protests in Paris and Europe
French police have dispersed a pro-Palestinian student camp in Paris, indicating that demonstrations on U.S. university campuses are echoing across Europe. Despite this, protesters have assured that they will continue to occupy university buildings while demanding that institutions condemn and cut ties with Israel.
The prestigious Sciences Po university, whose alumni include French President Emmanuel Macron, is the scene of increasingly intense expressions of pro-Palestinian sentiment, students have told The National.
Riot police announced Wednesday afternoon that they had evicted about 60 students who were ‘occupying’ the Saint Thomas campus in the exclusive Saint Germain des Pres neighborhood. These occupations are a form of US-style university protest, being less common in French universities, where students often physically occupy buildings as a sign of protest.
Extension of protests to Europe
Protests at American universities have recently spread from coast to coast, generating several arrests in Texas. This issue has become considerably politicized, as Republicans have accused the students of anti-Semitism, a charge that has been backed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In Brussels, home of the European Union institutions, a small group of public officials has been publicly calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. Many say political leaders ignore their experience and fear becoming complicit in what the Netherlands’ International Court of Justice has described as possible genocide.
During demonstrations commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Carnation Revolution, a Palestinian bloc formed in the center of the march, with Palestinian flags flying in Marquis of Pombal Square. Many protesters believe that the spirit of the revolution that overthrew Europe’s oldest fascist dictatorship lives on in the Palestinian cause.
Impact in the United States
Tension has increased on New York campuses, where new centers of student protest have emerged in solidarity with Palestine, such as at New York University (CUNY, public) and even at the Fashion Institute, which now has its own camps, following the example of Columbia. The police intervened in the CUNY camp with the apparent intention of arresting students, but they finally gave up in the face of strong opposition from the students after a struggle.
The University of Southern California (USC) announced that it has canceled the main 2024 graduation ceremony, following the arrest of dozens of students in a protest against Israel’s war in Gaza. In this way, the best student of the year, the Muslim Asna Tabassum, will not be able to give the graduation speech.