After violent protests against the results of the first round of the French presidential election, the Sorbonne University in Paris has closed for the time being. The university management condemned “the illegal occupation, which led to unacceptable violence”.
The university was cleared up last night. A group of students had occupied parts of the building since Wednesday, damaging furniture and leaving graffiti. “Sorbonne occupied – against Macron, Le Pen and their world” read a banner on the facade of the university.
French President Emmanuel Macron and right-wing populist Marine Le Pen, who will face each other in the run-off election on April 24, have so far given little space in their election campaign to the concerns of young people.
According to surveys, the proportion of young people under the age of 24 who did not vote reached a new low of a good 40 percent in the first round of the presidential election in France.