Administrators of Paris’ Sorbonne University closed the main building Monday after protesters, angry over the Gaza war, gathered in front of the institution and in its main hall. This comes after students at Paris’ elite Sciences Po university agreed to call off similar protests, in the latest sign that such protests are spilling over from universities in the United States.
About 150 protesters chanting 'Free Palestine' gathered midday Monday at the gates of the Sorbonne - one of the world's oldest universities - while students set up a dozen tents in the courtyard and the main entry hall and unfurled a giant Palestinian flag.
The peaceful protesters called for the university to condemn Israel's actions in Gaza, echoing similar calls from protesters on campuses in the United States - the latest sign that such demonstrations were spilling over into Europe.
Continuation of protests elsewhere
"We are the continuation of the call of Harvard and Columbia students,” activist Lorelia Frejo told the AFP news organisation. “After the actions at Sciences Po, we are here for it to continue.”
On Friday police intervened when about 50 pro-Israeli demonstrators arrived at the Paris campus of Sciences Po university, where over a hundred pro-Palestinian protesters had been occupying a building, after several days of sit-ins and protests.
On Saturday the university said the pro-Palestinian students had agreed to call off their action in return for an "internal debate" about the university's ties to Israel.
University authorities also agreed to drop all disciplinary proceedings against demonstrators, according to a note sent to students and faculty by Sciences Po's administrator Jean Basseres.
Links with US
Sciences Po has a joint degree program with Columbia University in New York, where several French students have taken part in protests, which have spread after the mass arrest of over 100 people ten days ago.
Columbia administrators said the protests were unauthorised, disrupted education and fostered anti-Semitism.
Since then, hundreds of protesters at universities across the US have been arrested as they copied the encampments made by Columbia students.
In France, several politicians, including Mathilde Panot who heads the hard left France Unbowed group of lawmakers in the National Assembly, ncalled on social media for supporters to join the Sorbonne protests.
(with newswires)
