French police peacefully remove anti-Israel students from university sites

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Eleanor Saghian speaks about being kicked in the head by anti-Israel agitators. Her mother, Ruth Sonbolian, witnessed the incident.

French police on Friday peacefully removed dozens of students from a building at the Paris Institute of Political Studies, known as Sciences Po, who had gathered in support of Palestinians, echoing similar encampments and solidarity demonstrations across the United States.

Students waved Palestinian flags and chanted slogans in support of residents of Gaza, as Israel continues its offensive following the deadly Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack that triggered the Israeli-Hamas war.

The Sciences Po building had been occupied since Thursday evening. The university administration had closed the main buildings and moved classes online.

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Anti-Israel students were planning to hold 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.

Students gather near Sciences Po university on May 3, 2024, in Paris. French police peacefully evacuated dozens of anti-Israel students from a building of the Paris Institute of Political Studies. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

On Thursday, similar protests took place in some other universities across the country, including in Lille and Lyon.

The Prime Minister’s Office said police had been requested to remove students from 23 sites on French campuses on Thursday and “all were evacuated within a few hours.”

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A police presence will be maintained near Sciences Po to prevent any further blockades, it said in a statement.

Last week, tensions broke out near the elite university, which counts President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Gabriel Attal among its many famous alumni. Pro-Palestine and pro-Israel demonstrators faced each other in a standoff in the street outside Sciences Po. Riot police stepped in to separate the groups.

The protest ended peacefully as pro-Palestinian students agreed to leave.