Student Activism for Palestine: A Pro-Palestinian Campout at Sciences Po Paris

On the night of April 25th and 26th, around fifty students from Columbia University in the United States to Science Po, the faculty of presidents, prime ministers, and ministers in France, gathered in support of Palestinians. They camped inside the famous school to denounce the massacre of Israeli civilians in Gaza.

A day prior, a few dozen students mobilized in favor of Palestinians decided to occupy a new building at Sciences Po Paris on Thursday afternoon. The occupation came just a day after a police evacuation of another part of the establishment, similar to actions at American universities.

The students chanted for the honor of Palestine and those being murdered during their protest. The committee at Sciences Po Paris requested a clear condemnation of Israel’s actions, an end to collaborations with entities complicit in Palestinian oppression, and an end to repression of pro-Palestinian voices on campus.

As of Friday morning, the students were still present at the scene, both inside and outside the building with doors locked and no classes for the day. The police were not present in the morning. Political figures such as Jean-Luc Mélenchon expressed admiration for the students and their actions.

The movement was organized by the Palestinian Political Science Committee and spread to other universities in Paris. The student activists were taken out of the school by police, sparking political discussions and reactions. The president of Crif (Council of Jewish Institutions of France) expressed concern over how holding campus hostage impeded academic freedom while also raising questions about universities’ role in political activism. Overall, this pro-Palestinian student movement at Sciences Po Paris has drawn attention from various sources sparking conversations about Gaza conflict and universities’ role in political activism.