Lille: Science-po and the School of Journalism closed after mobilization in support of the Palestinians

The Institute of Political Studies of Lille is closed this Thursday and access to the Lille School of Journalism (ESJ) is blocked due to mobilization in support of the Palestinians, an AFP journalist noted.

After closing the establishment for the morning, the management of Sciences-po Lille announced this Thursday at noon the extension of this decision for the whole day after an “attempted blockade” by students “partially external” to the establishment. Due to this, scheduled exams are being postponed, the same source told us.

“More ethics on our sets”

The students who had mobilized at dawn for this blockade then went to nearby ESJ, where they had closed access, amid cries of: “Children of Gaza, children of Palestine, we are ‘killing’ humanity.

“No ethics on our sets”, “more than 100 journalists died in Gaza” – we could read on signs posted in front of the building, while about fifty demonstrators stood in front of the doors, locked with heavy chains.

“This is what we students condemn: the positions of our government, the positions of the Israeli government and the attitude of the media” towards the war in Gaza, said “Knox,” a student at the University of the Sciences of Lille who did not want to give his name.

ESJ director Pierre Savary told AFP that “there was no break-in inside the school, no damage to the outside”, stressing that this kind of action was “very rare at ESJ”. Classes have also been canceled for the day.

“Against the boycott of Israeli universities”

Among the students’ demands is the cancellation of the joint master’s program Sciences-po Lille with Tel Aviv University. “Our board of directors has clearly spoken out against the boycott of Israeli universities,” Sciences Po said, while considering it “legitimate that our community can express its solidarity with the population affected by the war.”

A meeting is planned for Friday to discuss “actions that need to be taken within the school and with our partners.” It is about “finding more creative solutions than a boycott,” which must be built “within a democratic framework” to “prevent the debate from being hijacked by actors seeking to exploit it for European elections or otherwise,” the Sciences director explained. po Lille by Etienne Peyrat, raising thoughts about improving partnerships with Palestinian institutions or accepting students from the region.