2024-04-30 23:19:23
Paris police dispersed protesters today against the Gaza war in the courtyard of the Sorbonne, students said, cited by Reuters.
The demonstration came three days after protests at the Paris Institute for Political Studies, following the example of multiple demonstrations at American universities to end the conflict.
“We pitched tents following the example of several universities in the US. We are doing everything we can to give publicity to what is happening in Palestine, to the ongoing genocide in Gaza,” said Louis Mazier, a student at the Sorbonne. “Then the police came in, removed the tents, grabbed students by the collar and dragged them on the ground, this is not good. We are very shocked,” he added.
French broadcaster BeFM broadcast footage showing police forcing several students to leave the site.
A police source confirmed that law enforcement had moved in to clear the courtyard of the Sorbonne.
“This action, which lasted several minutes, was peaceful and without incident,” said the source, who declined to answer questions about how the students were removed.
During the peaceful protests today, the university closed its doors. The students chanted “Freedom for Palestine” and demanded that the educational institution condemn Israel’s actions, BTA writes.
Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip continues, with at least 34,488 Palestinians killed since the start of the war, the Hamas-controlled health authorities in the Palestinian territory said.
These data have not been independently verified.
Israel’s actions were in response to an attack in the south of the country on October 7, in which, according to Israeli figures, the Palestinian group Hamas killed about 1,200 people and took 253 hostages.