Sciences Po Paris Students Rally for Gaza
In a display of solidarity with Gaza, students at Sciences Po in Paris took a bold stand by blocking access to their university on Friday. The group of students, vocal in their support for Palestinians, demanded that the institution publicly denounce Israel’s actions in the ongoing conflict. The scene was adorned with Palestinian flags and the iconic black-and-white keffiyeh headscarves, signaling the students’ alignment with the cause.
Similar demonstrations have been taking place on U.S campuses, with echoes now heard across the Atlantic. Hicham, a 22-year-old master’s student in human rights and humanitarian studies, expressed his hopes that the movement would gain momentum in France. “The academic world has a role to play,” he stated, emphasizing the potential influence of educational institutions on political matters.
Zoe, another master’s student at Sciences Po, shared her enthusiasm about the growing number of universities joining the movement. “We hope that will spread to all universities and beyond… we won’t give in until the genocide in Gaza ends,” she declared.
The university’s administration has yet to respond to the events or the students’ demands. The protest at Sciences Po follows a series of similar actions on U.S campuses, where confrontations between police and students have sparked debate over the handling of such demonstrations. This includes recent incidents at Columbia University, where mass arrests were made last week.
The conflict has seen a significant number of casualties, with health authorities in Gaza reporting over 34,000 Palestinian deaths due to the Israeli assault. This comes as a retaliation to an attack by Hamas on October 7th, which resulted in 1,200 deaths and 253 hostages, as reported by Israeli sources.
As these protests continue to spread globally, they highlight the increasing role that academic institutions and their students play in international political discourse and activism.
