Pro-Palestinian mobilization in Sciences-po: Insoumis in support, a “dangerous game” for the government

It was about one o’clock in the afternoon this Friday, April 26, when on the Rue Saint-Guillaume in Paris (7th arrondissement) people began chanting: “Rima, Rima, Science-po with you!” » Rima Hassan, a French-Palestinian lawyer whom LFI hopes to elect during European elections in June, is splitting a group that calls on her to join pro-Palestinian chants.

Minutes earlier, she had called on her supporters on X (formerly Twitter) to gather in front of the facility for an “uprising.” “The uprising is people who are outraged by their responsibility,” she clarified then on the spot.

Surrounded by about a hundred students and activists, she came to support the several dozen students who had occupied the Institute for Policy Studies since Thursday evening, demanding, among other things, “clear condemnation of Israel’s actions by Sciences” and “clear condemnation of Israel’s actions by Sciences.” cessation of cooperation” with all “institutions or organizations” considered complicit in the “systematic oppression of the Palestinian people.”

“For election purposes only”

At the same time, the Minister of Higher Education Sylvie Retailo condemns the methods of blockers and Insoumise into the BFMTV microphone. She denounces the “dangerous game purely for electoral purposes” that Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s troops are said to be playing, while the conference of the tribune and Rima Hassan was banned by the prefecture last week in Lille.

Thus, she calls for a difference between “debate on serious and important topics and instrumentalization, violence, which is not what we carry in our higher and research institutions. »

Faced with the blockade, the minister believes the students have crossed “red lines” while their demands echo protests that are spreading on some prestigious American campuses, such as that of Columbia University in New York. Moreover, on the Rue Saint-Guillaume, slogans are chanted in both English and French.

“There is a genocide going on, this is not Insoumise propaganda”

Still in front of Science-po, megaphone in hand, Rima Hassan, summoned by police last week for “apologizing for terrorism,” congratulates the blocking students and believes they represent “the honor of France,” repeating the words of the audio recording. a message sent to them that morning by Jean-Luc Mélenchon. And the young woman takes aim at Science-po’s leadership, which “succumbs to a discourse that makes us complicit in the genocide taking place in the Gaza Strip.” Next to him, LFI deputies take turns supporting the occupiers throughout the day and addressing the crowd along with the students.

“There are double standards in this country. “Genocide is happening, this is not Insoumise propaganda,” retorts LFI Finance Committee President Eric Coquerel in response to criticism. Before speaking out against France’s “complicity” in the “ongoing genocide.”

“Netanyahu’s goal is to end the Palestinian people. We support you, we are for you! “he continues between performances by Aymeric Caron and Antoine Léaumann, close to Jean-Luc Mélenchon. The day before, another Insoumis-elected representative of the National Assembly, Jérôme Legavre, had arrived to support the blockading students.

A method of action that also divides the left. “The fact that we show solidarity with the Palestinians (…) is worthy and noble. And then, in what atmosphere are we doing this? Can we organize discussions with those who do not share the same point of view? And until proven otherwise, this is not the case, assessed a few hours earlier by Raphael Glucksmann, head of the list of the Socialist Party and Place Publique in the European elections. So, we have a problem and the management of Nauk-po has the right to decide on evacuation. »